The Phantom Angel
by Aigian Toaster
Summary: With the raising concerns of mental breakdowns, the Shadow Operatives begin to presume that Shadow and Persona related activities are happening within Tokyo. However, with the state the government is in, plus with elections inbound, they can't do much officially. However, that's not to say the Kirijo Group has any plans of their own. Novelization of P5 in Aigis' POV with Labrys.
1. Unsettling Meetup

**A/N: Hey there everyone. I wanted to make my own Persona story after reading for so long.**

**I've always been a reader for the Persona series, and recently I was captivated by the idea of past game characters having an impact in Persona 5's story. I read one that had Naoto investigating the Phantom Thieves, as well as another with the P4 MC and her doing the same. It's always been a wonder; what were the other characters doing in the background, the ones that were probably aware of the things going on in the story? **

**I reckon that even if the Investigation Team from P4 was pretty thinned out, the Shadow Operatives would have a hand in things like this. Persona 5's mental shutdowns are oddly similar to P3's Apathy Syndrome, so I decided to use that as the basis for this story.**

**Well, enough about that. To sum it up, I'm placing a character that could possibly be able to involve themselves in the P5 story. A novelization of P5 through Aigis' point of view. Enjoy the first chapter!**

* * *

**The Phantom Angel**

**Chapter 1:** _Unsettling Meetup_

**...**

_August 21, 2014. End of the month log._

Shadow Operative serial #5: Aigis, reporting for daily catalog storage. Beginning transmission.

…

…

Data entry is now ready for submission. Replaying contents:

_An individual by the name of Wakaba Isshiki has fallen victim to a strange sort of accident. To the reports' findings… The results were dangerously similar to that of the Apathy Syndrome as I further looked into it._

_According to the public eye, occurrences such as these were referred to as a 'mental shutdown', in which all functionality in an individual's body ceased to act forth, similarly to that of the former. Such incidences have become a widespread source of panic for the country of Japan as of late._

_However, on a recurring note, I shall add another interesting topic for this log._

_Mitsuru-san, as well as most of the other members of our group, have noticed some rather strange events occurring from within the hierarchy of the Japanese government. The police force, high end members of society; their actions have become stagnating. It is as if a higher force is commanding all of these corporations, processing deals and business through otherwise suspicious means. Alongside with the mental shutdown cases, another occurrence has been a hot topic as of late._

_The public refers to these kinds of shutdowns as 'psychotic'. It is similar in activation to the former, but instead of a state similar to that of Apathy Syndrome, individuals targeted are subjected to sessions of berserk-like actions. This is the kind that Mitsuru-san is more concerned with, as am I._

_Due to the Shadow Operatives being a specialty force within the police, I am worried to how this will affect our activities. In honesty, I would believe that an investigation should be started immediately…_

_However… Strangely enough, these cases remind me of the events that took forth nearly 6 years ago. The Dark Hour, Tartarus… This unpleasant feeling that I am holding within my chest…_

_I hope that I am wrong that something is amidst in this world once again. But in the case that it is, we will take our involvement into it with a serious fashion._

…

…

End of data entry. Shadow Operative serial #5, logging off.

* * *

**…**

_April 1st, 2016._

The island of Yakushima, and weeks before the daily school schedules of most of Japan began.

Me, and my sister-unit, Labrys, had been called forth by Mitsuru-san to the island from which the two of us departed from a long time ago. This location served to be a more secretive sense of housing. Due to the influence and power that the Kirijo group held, especially with the shutdown cases ongoing, safety measures have to be taken for the leader of our organization. Even with how experienced and trained that Mitsuru-san is, the danger of being targeted in the more populated parts of the country lingered in her mind, longing to the decision to hold our latest meeting at this location. However, to our misfortune, it had seemed that not many of our fellow team members could make their appearances, save for a few familiar faces.

One of these was Mitsuru-san's childhood friend and personal maid, Saikawa-san.

As Labrys and I arrived on the island, she greeted us with a cool smile as her purple haired flowed freely down her waist, having grown over the past few years due to personal preference. Labrys was quick to return the gesture, smiling gleefully as she dashed towards her.

"Saikawa-san!" She yells out, embracing her within her arms. The latter simply smiled, returning the hug as she glanced over towards me. I give her a gentle smile in conjunction as I approach the duo.

"Welcome, Aigis-san."

"Likewise." I respond, the two of us nodding slightly as Labrys releases her hold on the maid. "This trip was so sudden however. I assume that the business we are called for is quite serious?"

Saikawa-san nods again, gesturing us towards the familiar mansion of the Kirijo Group as she effortlessly takes hold of our luggage. "Very much so. We've gotten new readings of Shadows in the area of Tokyo of all places. I have a feeling it's due to the recent events that've happening lately."

"T-Tokyo?" Labrys blinks in slight surprise. "That's a gander to react to!"

"Now, now, sister." I turn to place a hand on her shoulder. "Let us properly learn of the situation before we make any assumptions."

My calming demeanor seemed to had embarrassed her somewhat, but I did not mind it. In fact, her expressions always reminded me of a younger sister, despite myself being a model from the newer generation.

"R-Right…"

Without further ado, the three of us departed for the mansion. It was a pleasant trip; the wind was not too mild or violent, nor was the temperature too warm or cold. However, as we approached the massively inviting site, I could feel as though the atmosphere had differed from normal states. Saikawa-san was unsurprised by Labrys' reactions to the building, but nevertheless, we entered through the main entrance, quickly making our way to our suddenly summoned location. Perhaps it was due to the fact that this location was also a Kirijo Group lab station.

Nevertheless however, as we approached the door to where Mitsuru-san's father formerly resided with his leadership roles, I was pleasantly surprised by the figures I saw inside as we peered in.

Machinery quietly beeped, the only sound in the room as a variety of monitors were active. The first familiar sight was that of Fuuka-san, her hands clasped in front of her and her face frowning slightly as she concentrated. She sat in the glass orb that made up of her Persona, Juno's lower body. To her left, immediately, a familiar sound of barking was heard as Labrys' eyes gleamed.

_"Bark bark!"_ The dog woofed again, happy to recognize his friends as he galloped towards the entrance.

Labrys was overjoyed as she lunged at the familiar albino shiba inu and grasped him in her arms. "Koro-chan!"

If he is here, then that could only mean…

Fuuka's eyes then shot open before I responded, relieving her Persona of its duty for the time being. "Mitsuru-senpai. Labrys-chan and Aigis-chan are here!"

Responding forth from one of the monitors, two figures turned from their chairs, their lips curving to small smiles as one of them stood up. A gallantly crimson red filled my vision as I smiled.

"Hello, Aigis, Labrys." Mitsuru turned around. Her fur coat shuffled slightly as her companion also stood up. He gave me a nod as the two approached us.

"Aigis-san. It's been a while." The newcomer… Or rather, returning member replied. Despite having an older body and a different tone of voice, I could never forget that styled brown hair and eyes. However, it alerted me that he was not accustomed to the Gekkoukan High School uniform. Instead, he wore a red-buttoned black blazer alongside a white turtleneck shirt with chevron detailing on the collar and red plaid trousers. There was a small badge with the number 3 on his neck, from which I could only familiarize his standing as a third-year student.

I smiled as we shook hands, ignoring the details for a moment. "It is nice to see you again, Ken-kun."

However, as the pleasant reunion went underway, as soon as Saikawa closed the door, once again, the atmosphere changed as we all seated together at the center of the room. Things were going to get serious now.

Mitsuru-san was the first to speak, as expected. She crossed her legs in an otherwise suggestive matter, but of course, Ken and the rest of us knew that she just was doing that for the sake of comfort. Pressing a button on a remote, we all turned our heads to the monitors, which brought forth a multitude of graphs, data tables, as well as other images. One of which was that of Wakaba Isshiki. I was not too accompanied with her, but the former had ties in with Mitsuru-san, most likely because of the topic of science that she gloried her life towards before her unfortunate passing.

When Mitsuru heard of Wakaba-san's death…she became suspicious and began to dig into things. And what she found out was quite suspicious to say the least. The research that she was going into, Cognitive Psience… It boggled my mind to imagine how eerie and familiar it felt to hear.

"Alright, now that everyone's here, I'll be brief with the meeting. Everyone else has a standard understanding of the situation, but I reckon that you and Labrys only have bits and pieces of information." She first goes off, pressing a button. Within milliseconds, images of accidents and other hazardous environments appeared. Injured civilians, as well as those with strange expressions on their faces.

"These images are…" Labrys' eyes narrowed. "Cases of shutdowns?"

"Indeed." Mitsuru-san responds, grimacing slightly as Fuuka clutched her hands together. "Yamagishi, do you mind explaining?"

"Of course." She nodded, turning to face the whole group. "I'll go over the recent news first."

Locking onto her face, she began to speak. "Lately, more cases of both mental and psychotic breakdowns have been occurring from with Tokyo and other major cities. The media has already spiked in terms of alertness, but in regards to damages and those affected by these incidents, we've gathered some rather unsettling data."

"I can only imagine that these aren't just coincidental events." Ken-kun glared at the screens. Fuuka nodded as well, before biting her lower lip. "These cases are becoming a source for public outcry, and we've began to trace a few possible leads as to why… However, that's not the important thing."

"What is then?" Labrys responded in conjunction. Fuuka-san gulps slightly, before glancing over towards Mitsuru for approval. With a simple nod, she sighs a little as she summons forth Juno once again, rearranging the data showed on the screen to a map of Japan.

"Tokyo… It has a Shadow nest. Perhaps even larger than Tartarus in the number of Shadows present." She revealed.

Labrys' eyes widened. "Are you serious, Fuuka-chan?!"

"Yes… But it's strange…" Fuuka frowned, resting her fingers on her chin. "The feeling and functionality of this structuring is _very _similar to that of Tartarus, but also quite vaguely different in a sense."

"How so? The layout is sectioned by floors, I am assuming?" I asked.

"It's…hard to say," Fuuka said slowly, half nodding while frowning. "It's vertical, that's for sure, but as for how deep or tall it goes, or even the general direction, I'd have to be closer to get a better feel, but..."

Mitsuru shook her head, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Every bit of information is essential. It's better than nothing."

Fuuka smiled at her. "Thank you, Senpai. But… What can we do? This has to be serious if a Shadow nest has formed... And with how the government is doing, our activities could be monitored or shut down completely."

"Then we simply need to intervene and overcome this obstacle." Mitsuru answered with a smile for a moment before her face into a frown. "Though as much as I would like to attend to the problem myself, I can't so directly. My presence in the area would be alerting, plus, with the Prime Minister elections forming together along with the cases… I'll have to maintain a public image as you said."

Ken sighed a bit, before turning to Labrys and I with a wry smile. "…Which is where we come in."

"Us?" The two of us both answered.

Fuuka-san winced. "Well, yes, but… It's going to be more of a…past type of infiltration, so to speak. I wasn't in full agreement to it until Ken-kun accepted the mission a few days ago."

Mitsuru folded her arms, a wry smile on her lips. "Aigis, we've witnessed many things that defy the impossible. What can compare to the things we've gone through?"

I couldn't help but chuckle a little. The way she was going at it made me feel a tad bit nostalgic. "Tartarus and Nyx, the TV World and the Mikazuchi incident…"

Koromaru yipped. Apparently, the feeling was getting to him too. I petted his head a few times before turning back over to Mitsuru-san. From the looks of it, since the two incidents that we as SEES and the Shadow Operatives were involved had to due with schools… Perhaps I am getting too confident in my predictions. There couldn't be another event in which I had to attend a school and—

"Since the Shadow Operatives technically line up with the police, officially, we can't do much." Our red-headed leader snickered however. "But there's nothing that says I can use my influence with the Kirijo Group to perhaps…sneak some moles into the situation? We need information, and if Shadows are involved, we're going to need some Persona users to deal with potential problems. Ken also wasn't registered with us by the time he left after the last incident, leaving him a clean record."

"I agree." Ken-kun nodded, a wry smile on his face. "The situation we had during our time in SEES only composed of individuals near or inside the area of Port Island. However, these shutdowns and other recent cases have begun to spread through nearly all of Japan. Worst comes to worst; this may very well come towards affecting the entire world."

The world, he says… Hearing that word reminded me of my beloved friend. The world he saved due to his sacrifice… I promised that I wouldn't let his efforts, nor the world he gave his life to protect, go into vain and ruin itself.

"I comprehend." I then answer, but it was then that curiosity got into my mind as I turned over to Ken and Labrys. "However, as much as I understand Ken-kun transferring schools to blend in, are you also suggesting that Labrys and I also tag along? Aren't we still on record?"

"Wait, really?" Said sister of mine glanced over. "Yeah, then how'll we fit in our appearances?"

This time, Fuuka responded, and with a chuckle. I noticed that Mitsuru-san had a small smirk on her face as well. "Well… Aigis-chan actually did that when she used to attend Gekkoukan High with us, and plus, the only information the government could possibly gain is kept with us in the Kirijo Group's personal records. And besides, even though her feet and headphone-like parts stood out like a sore thumb, the student body accepted her without question."

Labrys took a moment to glance over towards my face, looking flabbergasted. A mixture of confusion and surprise showed on her face, which made me giggle in response. "Indeed, it did happen."

"Though this time, we'll be outfitting you with a more convincing appearance." Mitsuru then said, her expression a bit sterner. "People change all the time. Even during our brief encounter with the Investigation Team in Inaba, I'm sure you got a vague expression on how students from their generation reacted to your appearance?"

"I remember, though I was pleased that they quickly got over it." I gave a small smile, not bothered by her remark as recalled my experience with the Investigation Team of Inaba.

"True… But, if I had to be blunt about this generation's teenagers and students—they're savages. Quick to judge, eager to spread rumors and chain themselves to attention seeking events. The shutdown cases already have most of the general public on cloud nine, so I doubt that it'll be easy to blend in this time."

That was blunt indeed.

"Ugh, tell me about it…" Ken groaned. "People from my generation are naïve and sentimental. They overreact and don't know when to stop snooping around for the latest rumors."

"Well regardless, if you're making us go there, I guess you're gonna do something about how we look then?" Labrys suggested.

Mitsuru-san nodded, standing up. "That's correct. I was hoping you two would accept this mission… Because lately, I've been getting a gut feeling that the Shadow nest in Tokyo might be a bit more complicated that what Tartarus is. I'd like for the two of you to join with me at the basement. The lab group has been working on special equipment that should aid you in both disguising your appearances, as well as enhancing some of your abilities."

"Well… I can't say that I was expecting an upgrade." Labrys glanced in my direction, however, she seemed to have a gleam of excitement in her eyes. "I, for one however, am excited! I'm _actually_ going to be a student this time around!"

Ken-kun and I both sweat dropped, but nonetheless agreed with her as I stood up. "Then we should get going then. I can only suspect all the necessary paperwork and time it will take to get everything accorded."

"I've already prepped the paperwork and documents." Saikawa answered. "All that we need to do is apply the reconfiguration towards your bodies, which will take a bit of time to complete."

"About how long are ya saying?" Labrys asked.

"I'd say… A week." Fuuka guessed. "We'll need some time to apply the upgrades, and we'll take a few days for you two to get used to your new parameters."

"A week…" I repeated. From what I can remember, Yukari-san told me that my beloved friend laid dormant for at least a week after awakening to his Persona, Orpheus. This scenario was going to play out similarly it seems. "I comprehend. Labrys, shall we depart then?"

"Yeah!" She grins. "And besides, school starts on the 10th, so we'll be A-ok if everything goes well!"

"Then let's get you two underway then." Mitsuru orders.

At her wording, the two of us begin to follow her out the doorway. To think… We would be attending a school once again. Though my records officially state my involvement with the Shadow Operatives, Mitsuru-san was taking personal measures to make sure that the two of us would get in. Understandably so, I believe that our appearances and the lack of visible aging also played a part. Though Mitsuru-san and Fuuka-san had matured into beautiful young adults, Labrys and I still retained the appearance of teenagers. Though the meaning behind our humanoid appearance was to gain a more tranquil method into acquiring a Persona, to think that we would be using our faces for a mission like this…

_'I think I'm getting excited.'_ I chuckled inwardly.

* * *

**First chapter is done, albeit a bit shorter that I would like it to be.**

** This story will take place right when the P5 protagonist comes in.**

**And speaking of which, do you wish for me to refer the MC by Akira, or by Ren? Let me know in the reviews for any answers and suggestions you all might have. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you in the next chapter.**


	2. Welcome to Shujin

**AN/N: Hello everyone, here is the second chapter.**

**Thank you for all the reviews and comments on the first chapter. It seems that most of you guys prefer the name of Akira, so this story will have his name be that. **

**For the story itself, there were a few questions mentioning on what kinds of characters might show from the previous Persona games. Regarding that, I was initially thinking of only having Aigis and a few cameos of some other characters, but now that I was thinking a bit too hard into this, I thought of a few characters that could also fit in quite nicely. Naoto fits in, as she was directly cameoed in Persona 5 itself, plus, with this kind of case in mind, do you really think she'd stay quiet and leave her own investigation out of the way?**

**Noting that, I'm going with the idea that the grown-up members of Persona 4's Investigation Team have either gone out to fulfill their own lives, or have become members of the Shadow Operatives, acting out as reserve members similar to how Junpei and Yukari did so in P4AU. They're also at the right age for it as well, as Persona 5 takes places 4 to 5 years after Persona 4. I'll have you guys react to my other decisions as we go along.**

**However, regarding any elements from Persona 5 The Royal, I… Don't think I'll be incorporating any of its content. I'd have to play the new version myself to fully understand the way that I could develop a story out of it. I _do _know that based off the trailers, the cognition between much of the cast is changed. Haru's dad and Futaba's mom being alive, Ryuji getting a scholarship and heavy implications that Makoko's dad is also alive… And Akechi's supposed survival and use of his other side as well. We'll just have to wait and see.**

**Well, besides that, I have a few questions regarding Aigis as a whole, as this story is going to have her regain a few features she had in the past:**

**According to Persona 4 Arena, Aigis, like Yu, is listed to be of the Fool Arcana, but despite this, Athena is listed to be of the Chariot Arcana based off of Persona 3. This also confuses me, as she can also switch between Pallas Athena and back to Palladion, and even in the story of Persona 4 Arena, Elizabeth senses the Wild Card inside her. I wanted to incorporate her having the Wild Card again to put a twist on the story, but I worry that it might not make sense in canon reality. What do you guys think? Should it be possible for her to still have it?**

**Anyhow, that's all I wanted to say. Like I said in the last part, I wanted this one to be a little longer, so enjoy this longer chapter!**

* * *

**The Phantom Angel**

**Chapter 2: **_Welcome to Shujin_

**…**

_April, 2016. Daily log storing process._

Beginning replay of log transmission.

…

…

Loading complete. Relaying stored message contents:

_It always concerned me that humans could evolve to accustom themselves to different situations, or that they could brush off catastrophic events with nothing but a smirk or brush aside. Truth be told, when news of that faithful day struck forth on the Moonlight Bridge, the only occurrence of relevant information that retained itself to the people was that it was simply an 'accident'. The truth could not be attained, and even if were to be miraculously acquired, who is to say that people would choose to believe in it?_

_It was also like that on the day of promise, six years ago. Nyx's influence on the world had staggered and turned the inner fear of Earth's inhabitants against themselves. I remember it very clearly, to the point of painful reconciliation. The awe-inspiring color of the moon as it shined down from where we stood. On top of Tartarus, as we fought the avatar of Death itself, we bore witness to its true form when we thought we had won the tiring battle._

_The blood red eye of darkness had consumed my form and hope when Nyx's avatar had pinned us to the floor. We could not move… At least, everyone but _him_. My beloved friend; he had harnessed the power of Death, as well as that of the Wild Card, but he had something else that allowed him to ascend to Nyx and prevent The Fall. Demonstrating his use of bonds, I did not understand then that he transmogrified the social links that he had gathered into an Arcana that none of us could foretell. It was only after bestowing upon my own Journey that I had learned of it._

_The Arcana that we were impedingly concerned with… He was the Fool. Number zero._

_I remember a certain quote from an otherwise neutral acquaintance... I believe it was, _'The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed...'

_The Fool… It represented the beginning and suggested infinite possibilities from an empty start. I remember my beloved friend discussing the topic of the 22 Major Arcana. We were concerned with only those of numbers one through thirteen. From the Magician, all the way to the Arcana that wasn't meant to be: Death. He was observant and discussing of all 22 and his relation to them._

_But my own Arcana, the symbolism of the bond and feelings I had for him… It did not belong to the 22 Major Arcana in standard decks like the Rider-Waite. Mine belonged to that of Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot, Arcana XX, number 20._

_The Aeon is what my Arcana was named. Upon further research, I understood the meaning of it._

_Characters and individuals representing the Aeon Arcana were destined with a journey to understand themselves, as well as the world around them. To become familiar with an otherwise confusing world, to gain knowledge and experience in unfamiliar situations, and to grow past the person that they used to be in order to grasp the concept of life. I can certainly see that I fitted into such a category, being an Anti-Shadow weapon designed in the form of a human. My own journey provided the answer and made me grow as an individual._

_But the Arcana that he manifested… Such a miracle could only be performed by that of the Universe, number 21 of Thoth's Tarot. A powerful Arcana to possess, perhaps it was that that allowed him to become the shield that stood against Nyx, Erebus, and The Fall… But at a certain price._

_I will always thank him for his unending kindness… But I would like to see him again, to embrace him and tell him what I truly feel. But to know that he is watching over us is good enough for me, despite my yearning desires._

_…_

_…_

End of data entry. Shadow Operative serial #5, signing off.

* * *

**…**

_April 8th, 2016._

When I opened his eyes, my vision bore witness to the color of blue. A deep, soul comforting blue.

But it wasn't just a vibrant, royal blue… It was a _Velvet Room_ blue to be exact.

And though while I was inside the Room, I was not in an elevator, as it was when I visited the last time I was here. Perhaps the state of my heart was different from my last appearance.

_'…What is happening?' _My eyes began to drift. The ceiling was unacquainted to my memory, as were the walls. The comfort was reassuring as I remembered, but the atmosphere was eerily discomforting, as if it were a secondary new side effect.

After a little bit, I sat up, taking note of a familiar harp-shaped chair as I leveled myself from the floor. I did not bother to look in front of myself, and took hold of the seat immediately. It was only until afterwards that I looked around again, noticing that this incarnation of the Velvet Room was bigger than the previous version, resembling that of a café or lounge. Shackles hanged from the ceiling, dangling from black chains as the blue velvet walls contorted against them. My mind was still hazy, but in the background, the joyful and calming music playing that I was attuned to filled my ears with a gentle awareness.

"This melody…" I open my mouth to state.

"Huh… What an odd occurrence. To think that you would actually appear and become a guest at a time like this... You truly are a phenomenon worth of note."

That voice…

My eyes widened as my attention fully returned. The Velvet Room, now in my vision, detailed itself to me completely. It was entitled to being a room that resembled more of bar, with myself sitting across from the owner of the voice, the two of us being separated by a counter colored by the mysterious, yet comforting shade of blue shade of velvet. The floor was made entirely of wood, though within the center was a blue carpet with a golden design of a roman numeral for the number five. Various bottles of alcohol presented themselves, but more importantly, there was also a circular window that led to a view outside, to that of a starry sky with a golden object in the background.

"You are…" My eyes gaze forward, widening slightly at the figure of familiarity.

In front of me was a young woman bearing pale skin and large, golden eyes, which stared into my own with a sense of interest and amusement. She was rather tall, possessing a height a few inches higher than my own, and had a slim, yet curvaceous form just by going by the leggings she wore with her white gloves. She wore a velvet blue designer's vest, with a short-sleeved dressed shirt underneath that was tied with a blue tie, along with a velvet blue skirt and black dress shoes. Her platinum blond hair, which came down to being barely above her jaw, gleamed brightly due to the Velvet Room's lighting. In her hand was an abnormally large book with a black binding, one that she and I were all too familiar with. And unlike her other clothes, she kept her attendant hat from the years passing.

I stared at her with surprise. "…Elizabeth-san."

"Welcome to the Velvet Room, my fellow enigma." The golden-eyed woman responded, a small smile on her face. "I am delighted to make your acquaintance once again. It's been a while since we've met. How do you do?"

"I am well." I returned her question with a warm smile. "But I must ask… Why am I back in the Velvet Room? I did complete my Journey the last time I was here, yes?"

"As you say." Elizabeth responds, spinning the rather large compendium on her index finger. "However, you are here for a different reason, and it was I that called you here, not my former master."

It was not Igor-san that had called me? How interesting… But also unsettling. The last that I remembered, Elizabeth-san was on a Journey of her own and was away from the Velvet Room. What could have made her halt in her progress to formulate a meeting with myself? Nevertheless, I took a more comfortable position before answering back.

"So… Why am I here?" I asked her. "I can only suspect it is something so important that you have to call a former guest in."

"Straight to the point, lovely. You've grown since the last time I saw you." Elizabeth nodded as she leaned against the counter, her arms folding together. "You are here because you are invited to partake in the changing of another guest's destiny, one that only recently manifested into a fresh path. To be honest, this path was a complete surprise to me, but I suspected that since you have an endearing sense of justice for a certain someone, you would help with this to avoid troubling their fate."

I was having trouble understanding what she was trying to tell me, but I had a nudging feeling that I knew who she was referring to. "…Him?"

To answer my question, Elizabeth gestured towards behind herself, out from the window that allowed a ray of moonlight to dwell into the room. Look past her, it was only after focusing my eyes that I could form the figure of something golden… Wait, something golden? And the outside space is… No, it couldn't be… Was it actually—

"No!" I stood up, my eyes widened completely. "The Great Seal?!"

"Indeed." The velvet attendant answered. "This is all for _him_. After all, I wanted you to help ensure that the world he sacrificed himself for is kept safe until his eventual return. The road that this new guest has leads to downfall, and I want you to prevent that."

I frowned at her as I sat back down. Things were becoming quite concerning. "So… What is it that you would like me to do then?"

"To combat the upcoming ruin that may accompany itself into this world." Elizabeth says. "What you were already planning to do beforehand would follow into my request. I would do so myself, but it seems that my former master's end is suspiciously unresponsive, as well as his attendant's… I need you to investigate this matter for me and ensure the journey of this new guest goes in the right direction."

Right as she says that, similar to a past event, a blue butterfly flutters and shines into existence, floating in between us before landing on my shoulder.

"You are talking about the Shadow nest that is building up within Tokyo." I quickly realize as I glance a gander on the transparent insect on me. "Does this nest have something to do with Nyx? Or is it something else?"

To answer my question, Elizabeth gave me a wry smile, shrugging all the while. It was an odd expression to see in a situation like this. "It is quite similar to the dilemma that you and your friends settled those six years ago, but I cannot reveal anymore that which even I don't know. All I can suspect is that you will have to go and undertake some very serious tasks in the upcoming times, and as a consequence, you might involve yourself with others with abilities similar to your own. I only ask that you take the upmost attention and care to this request of mine, as it concerns not only me, but also _his _livelihood."

Taking another glance outside, I could only soften my gaze once I sought onto the figure of a statue in the shape of a chained human in front of the golden doors.

"What about Erebus? Is he still trying to contact her?" I asked.

Elizabeth snorted, twirling around a tarot card that phased into existence on her finger. "Ah, him? I've been slaughtering him every year every time he manifests. Don't worry about keeping Door-kun safe from harm."

"...And what happens if I can't overcome it?"

"Then he will be very sad… And I will be _most_ unpleasant." Elizabeth answered her simply as she crushed her card with an iron grip, the object shattering into pieces like glass. I swallowed at how blunt her reaction was.

"Oh… Well I…"

"Oh, and before our adjourned time comes through to an end… Since I am welcoming you back as a guest, let us now form a contract, shall we?" Elizabeth-san's expression changes back to a smile though, a tarot card appearing within her grimoire as she opens it. "I think you'll need it for the upcoming future. Ruin can only be stopped by an equal force of nature, as you might know."

"A contract?" I say, surprised at the phrasing. A contract would only mean that I would be gaining my access back to the Wild Card... But in this scenario… "I see… That would make me a proper guest. Very well, I accept and resolve to go through with all of my decisions, consequences and resulting events in mind."

I sense a mischievous, but strong sense of resolve from Elizabeth… Though she appeared to be playful, this situation was serious to her as well. "Then the contract has been sealed…"

With that in mind, the contract had been formed as Elizabeth slammed the tarot card by crushing in between her book's pages, crushing it to pieces as sparkles of light float in between us. The butterfly on my shoulder then flies into the light, shining brightly until it forms back into a card. It held the number zero, turning once to reveal an image with a jester laughing very close to a cliff, accompanied with a dog at his heels as he carried a sack on a stick over his shoulders. I reach over to grab it, my vision growing blue for a moment as a mysterious voice ringed in my head. It sounded like a young girl's…

**_"I am _****thou_, thou art I…"_**

**_"Thou hast acquired a _****new_ vow."_**

**_"It shall _****become_ the arms of certainty that _breaketh_ thy illusion of the world."_**

**_"With the birth of the _****Fool _Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to the truth and _new_ power…"_**

Feeling a new sensation in front of me, my sight returns to normal as I feel a radiant surge of power racing through me… Though just then, the beautiful music of the Velvet Room ceased as the Great Seal began to glow in the background, and suddenly, my body grew heavy as I fell into my chair. I was rapidly losing strength in my limbs, and was struggling to try and support my own consciousness while my eyes closed rapidly, trying to stay awake.

"Hmm… It appears that our time is up. Well, no matter. We've discussed most of what we wanted to say. Rest for now, I'll call you again when you have properly gotten acquainted with your new situation."

And, with a snap of her fingers, my eyelids closed completely as my vision went dark, my consciousness fading into the calming blue of the Velvet Room.

* * *

**…**

_"…is."_ A weak voice was vague heard through my sensors, becoming clearer as the voice persisted in calling itself out. _"…gis…! Aigis!"_

Opening my eyes, the sight of Mitsuru-san filled my vision. I blinked a few times as to get an understanding of my surroundings, glancing around a few times too.

"…Good morning." I nodded. Looking down, I was sitting down on my recharging station, which more or less resembled a chair.

Said chair began to move down to ground level from the room we were in, allow me to gently touch the floor with my…toes. Yes. The procedure had been completed. Though my body still wasn't that of an actual human's, it was strikingly resembling of one. The only difference would be the barely visible lines on my shoulders and the back of my knees, which camouflaged the joint areas of my new body. Other than that, however, my body appeared to be just like that of a teenage girl. Even the gear on my head was replaced with human-like ears.

Mitsuru-san sighed, but mostly in relief. "Good... Were you dreaming again? It was just like when we returned from that strange blue room all those years ago."

The strange blue room… Ah, I remember now. I was just in the Velvet Room, and that task that Elizabeth-san wanted me to do…

"Yes, it was a…unique dream." I answered, stepping off from my seat. The feeling of my feet touching the floor was sensationally different from what I regularly experienced. Compared to the lower leg parts I had earlier, these appeared to be much easier to stand and walk with. Interesting things that feet and toes are. I wiggled some in self-interest; what a sensation…!

"I see. Well, I can only assume that your body is completely attuned now?" Mitsuru asked. "We even added some traits for more humanoid authenticity."

"Indeed, it is." I answered. To demonstrate, I began to move around in the room; walking, running around. I even surprised Mitusuru-san by performing a few cartwheels. To say she was amused was trickling, but as I returned to her side, I could see that she was trying to suppress a smile. "Today is the day, correct?"

"Yes. We'll be taking you, Labrys, Koromaru, and Ken over to Tokyo after you get dressed up. It'll take us around half a day to do so, so after we arrive, you'll have a day or so to scout the area before orientating yourself into the school." Mitsuru explained, before handing me a briefcase. "Here, change into this. This is the uniform for students of Shujin Academy."

"Shujin… If interpreted differently, it translates into 'prison' or 'prisoner'." I noted as I took hold of the case. "Give me a second to accommodate my new garments."

Nodding, Mitsuru turned to leave and close the door to my room. With that in mind, I discarded the blue sundress that I typically wore for outside excursions, folding it neatly and placing it into a nearby bin. It took only a few minutes for me to completely dress, and I was even mildly surprise with the uniform and accessories that Mitsuru-san prepared for me. Like Ken-kun's uniform, my consisted of a red-buttoned black blazer, and a white turtleneck for underneath. There was also a black and red plaid skirt with suspenders. Lastly, alongside a pair of black leggings and dress shoes, there was also a pair of headphones designed to resemble the gear I had previously worn on my cranium. In fact…

Pressing a button on the device after I had completely dressed, placed and attached onto my head, the headband extended down to take on the form of a metal visor with a bright cyan light, hovering right over my eyes and reaching across my face.

"Ah, the firmware has been updated." I noted with a slight tone of amusement.

And with that, Mitsuru returned. She gave me a quick rundown with her eyes before nodding in agreement.

"That's not a bad look." She admitted with a small smirk. "Alright, come on. Let's get going."

I gave a nod in response, and followed her out the room, closing the door and locking it. As I did so, I caught sight of Labrys standing not too far, peeking her head out from the door. Upon recognizing me, she squealed a bit at my appearing, bubbling around before grouping up with the two of us. From another room, Ken-kun and Koromaru-san approached us, the latter with an excited look as we began to exit the building. Apparently, our luggage was already prepared, and over the course of our week of adjusting to our bodies, Mitsuru-san had proclaimed a suite for the three of us in…

"Ginza…?" Ken frowns. "I mean, sure… But we don't need anything that's super fancy."

"Think of it as a place you can use to extend your palette of delicacies. After all, even though Port Island has a plethora of places, Tokyo is the heart of Japan." Mitsuru chuckles. "You may experience something new there, like a brand new sweet."

_"Bark!" _Koromaru seemed to agree with her statement.

…

…

The journey to the heart of Japan was rather exciting… At least for Koromaru, that is. All of us were used to traveling by luxurious means, as Mitsuru-san's connections were quite strong. When we landed down at the Tokyo International Airport, we even had a landing space reserved just for us. While Mitsuru-san and I were attuned to being stared at by the passerby as we exited the airport, Ken and Labrys were a bit nervous, trying not to pay attention to the looks and stares of envy and amazement. I could understand Ken-kun's reactions; he and Koromaru-san were off duty until just recently, which left me a bit unknowing to my sister's reaction.

Koromaru however was quite apathetic to the reactions. Since he was an albino shiba inu, I suspect that he already got plenty of attention because of his very appearance, and was thus used to crowds.

The drive to the house Mitsuru-san sought out for us in Ginza wasn't too long. The traffic didn't seem to be too horrible, though I could see that Ken-kun was visibly groaning by how busy Tokyo's streets were, crammed pack and jamming all the while. People came and went in packs and large groups, and cars were constantly on the move sloshing about, getting from place to place. The ride was also rather loud, though it was mainly due to Labrys' reactions to visiting the big city, as neither Mitsuru nor I had spoken much during the whole trip there. The driver, Saikawa-san, was mostly silent as well while her eyes on the road. I kept mostly to himself, staring out at the outside world moving quickly through the window, observing the lights and advertisements of the city.

To think that a place like this would harbor a Shadow nest… I wonder how large it would be, or where the entrance to it would be if there were either one or multiple of them. As those thoughts remained in my head, we arrived at our destination towards the late evening.

"We have arrived." Saikawa-san announced as she finished parking.

We all nodded, grabbing our luggage from the trunk. To our surprise, the house was luxurious, as expected of a livable location in Ginza. Though, even if it seemed to be quite expensive, Mitsuru-san shrugged off the pricing no doubt. We all took a look at the two-story building that she had brought out for us. There were gracious amounts of greenery, yet the upper floors allowed a large window or two to gaze out to the night lights of the city.

"Well, this will be our home for the next year then…" Ken-kun informed out loud, walking past the ever-so-curious Koromaru as Mitsuru-san and Saikawa-san proceeded to open the entrance.

"Big…" Labrys answered simply, though her jaw was abruptly opened down.

Saikawa-san unlocked the door, allowing us entrance into the domain. Koromaru was the first to dwell inside, dropping to the floor and sniffing all around. By the time he was already knee-deep inside the entering hallway, we had just entered slipped off our shoes, placing them inside the nearby cupboard. Then we entered the living room, which surprised both Ken-kun and Labrys. Much like the outside, it looked to be quite expensive. Had I not known any better of Mitsuru-san's state of mind and her tastes, we would have compared it to a five-star apartment building or something frantically similar. I could only assume that the first floor was the one for necessities; a living room, a kitchen, perhaps a bathroom or a recreational room. Of course, a room for our personal activities as Shadow Operatives was included here, I assumed.

We didn't have long to admire the scenery, however. After getting a brief tour of the room, we continued to follow Mitsuru-san, moving up the stairs and up to the second floor. In contrast to the first floor, the second seemed to be where the rooms were, as we found five doors; I could only assume that despite Labrys and I being only androids and not real human females, Ken-kun and Koromaru got their own room to share together, as did we with our own room with our own share of recharging and restocking equipment. The fourth door was the bathroom, and the last a guest room.

"The doors to the left are yours and Labrys'." Mitsuru-san told us, confirming my assumptions. "Their sizes were according to the equipment that we had to bring in. Ammunition, your docking stations, the likes. It's sort of like your old rooms back at the Iwatadai Dorm. The same for you, Amada."

He gave a nod of acknowledgement, understanding the situation with me and my surprised sister. Koromaru seemed ecstatic, wanting to explore right away as his tail wiggled around. Mitsuru-san seemed satisfied as the albino dog began to charge into his and Ken-kun's room, and then walked over to my own as Labrys began to explore hers.

With a turn of the knob, she pushed it open, revealing a fully prepared room. A docking station lied right in the middle, and to my amusement and satisfaction, it actually resembled more of a relaxation chair. To the right were desks and cases of special ammunition for dealing with Shadows, but there were also ones for regular combat. To the left was a closet with sets of Shujin Academy's uniforms and casual clothes, and several boxes, which I recognized containing various weapons and armor that would be used to accommodate my new body.

"This will be your room, Aigis. Your stuff arrived yesterday and we've already unpacked. You can take your time to sort out your preferences at a later time on your own leisure." She smirked. "I know how picky you can be with your weapon of choice."

"To pierce, slash, or strike…" I mutter auspiciously, earning a snicker from the red head. "Perhaps even a firearm will be useful in the upcoming scenarios."

Mitsuru-san nodded. "Well, we'll wait and see. For now, it'll just be the four of you engaging in Tokyo. I've already gathered together Amada's and Koromaru's Evokers, so you won't have to worry about them needing a way to use their Personas. I'll have you enroll in Shujin Academy and keep a low profile for the meantime, but as for then, I'll try to get you guys some more backup. Yamagishi and I were thinking along the lines of enlisting the help of Naoto Shirogane and her partner."

"Her partner? …Ah, you mean Narukami-san?" I blinked, curious to her plans. "So, he decided to enroll in the investigative line of work. I suppose the bond between the two of them would make him do so."

"Truth be told, Shirogane once informed me that Narukami has quite the analytical mindset, noticing the smallest of details. Perhaps their help will be useful in the future."

I nodded my head once more in confirmation. "Indeed, but we shall see what kind of nest this location is. It may require a different condition to enter, as with Tartarus or the TV World."

"True, which is why I'm giving you and everyone this." Holding out a small briefcase, I took hold of it and placed it down near a table and opened it, revealing three smartphones. "These are Kirijo Group-made P. A. Ds.. They have an exclusive social messaging link between only members of the Shadow Operatives alongside regular social applications, and we've also incorporated various others. Recording, fingerprint scanning and saving, remote camera access of other devices, low-scale hacking, the likes. There are several more uses, but I'll let Yamagishi explain it further down the line. She's the one who made them, after all."

"I understand. Labrys was interested in getting a smartphone, in all honesty." I giggled. "Thank you, Mitsuru-san."

"Think nothing of it." She smiled. "I just want you all to be prepared. At any rate, it's best if you sort yourselves out and go to bed. You all are going to introduce ourselves to the faculty at Shujin Academy, the school you'll be attending, two days from now with Saikawa acting as your guardian." Her red eyes narrowed at me as she folded her arms, giving a cross look of concern as she remained silent for a moment.

"…Mitsuru-san? Is something the matter?" I asked.

Mitsuru-san shook her head, merely cupping her chin. "…No, I was just thinking. There's rarely a place that would be so crowded as to be a Shadow nest. Try to understand and find out what may have caused it to bloom in the first place, as I'm placing you in charge of this operation."

I gave a solemn nod. It seemed that since she cleared her thoughts, seemed to be satisfied, and then took out something from her pocket. She walked up to me, and held out her hand. Gratefully, I accepted it, giving it a quick examination. It appeared to be a key with the symbol of the Shadow Operatives. "This is the key to the place. There's one for each of you, so don't lose it."

"I comprehend." I answered, earning a smile from her.

"Good. Now then, I'll leave you to your business. I'll have to accommodate whether or not I can bring some more of our members into joining in on this operation. Rest assured, I doubt that the initial investigation will be difficult, if memory serves me right." Her voice faded as she turned around, giving me a wink before exiting out from the room. "Well, good night."

"To you as well." I gave her a small bow.

Her expression softened as she turned her back to me walking out from my room and vanishing from sight as she closed the door. As soon as she did so, I turned back to my weapons cache and clothes, resting the P. A. D. briefcase on the table before licking my lips in anticipation. I had time to sort out my equipment, so I might as well do so with the leisure amount of time I had. This year was going to be an interesting one, after all.

* * *

**…**

_April 10th, 2016._

The previous day was spent preparing the majority of my equipment, as well as further getting used to my new body. Labrys and I were still getting used to the fact that we had toes and feet, but I took this time to take a look at the equipment that Mitsuru-san and Fuuka-san had prepared for us. The various weapons that had been prepared for my tastes, with differently varying forms of attacks in mind. Piercing attacks for harder and more armored enemies, slash attacks for lightly armed foes, and strike weapons for dealing with multiple enemies all at once.

For my own personal preference, firearms such as a machine gun, railgun, or narrow auto-cannon were more or less my ideal version of long-range weaponry, but as for close quarters combat… I suppose either my fists or a bludgeon weapon would suit myself. I was reminded of my other 'sister' when I picked up a rather large club, swinging around a few times to get a feel for it. It was rather light for my tastes, but the heavy end would be suitable for quick, yet lethal strikes.

With that in mind, after waiting for a little bit, I took a few minutes to discard my night wear, which consisted of simply a white t-shirt and black shorts, and exchanged them for the Shujin Academy female uniform. When I was finished, I sat down on my docking station until I heard a knock on my door.

"Aigis-san!" Ken-kun's voice was heard from the other end. "Are you awake?"

"I am." I answered, hearing Koromaru's voice as he also barked for my response. Opening the door, I gave him a small nod as Labrys exited out from her room as well. Like myself, she also wore the Academy's female uniform along with leggings to hide her jointed areas. Her head equipment also seemed to be replaced by a headset like my own, which most likely still contained her knightly visor-like mask. "Good morning."

The drive itself did not last long towards our destination. Shujin Academy was located in the Aoyama-Itchome neighborhood, which meant it was only a short distance, either by train, and even by walking. But to ensure our definite arrival, Saikawa-san had driven us, especially since she had to introduce herself as our technical guardian. Mitsuru-san had already left the area to attend to her other duties in the meanwhile.

Parking in a nearby parking lot, my vision darkened as the vast buildings of the neighborhood shadowed over the morning sun. It only took us a moment to arrive, but when the moment came to which we arrived, it seemed that my eyes unconsciously twitched in annoyance. I would later find out why as we approached the destination of question.

Our first impression of Shujin Academy was…not as I was expecting, to a positive sense in the least. In spite of the facility being quite large and up-to-date as one might expect of an elite boarding school, we took note that the atmosphere around this location was heavy, almost as if the place was trying to trap and chain you down to its level. From the minimalist clock that hung at the front above the entrance, to the simplistic looking walls and window designing of the entire facility and its dull-white and grey coloration, it was an almost taunting way of pronouncing one's time in prison… Perhaps that was the true meaning of the name of the school.

Regardless, from the outside, that was what I could get from alone. Eyeing the fences surrounding the entire building, I glanced over in Ken-kun and Labrys' directions. The former had a stern look on his face, as if he too were acknowledging the disturbing air of the building. Labrys was naturally different, not completely feeling the same sensation as her attention was covered by her immense curiosity. She was not naïve however, as she did feel a tad bit uncomfortable from the looks of it. Luckily, since it was a Sunday, there would be no one here except for the faculty staff.

Though that wasn't what we were here for today. Instead of waiting to be given a tour, we ventured forth through the black entrance gate, the three of us following Saikawa-san straight to the Principal's office through a map picked up by the shoe lockers.

And to our surprise, we weren't the only visitors to be inside the Principal's office.

"Oh…" A man's voice came through, though it appeared it be…oddly familiar to my memory.

Four other figures turned towards our direction as we entered. One such man was the Principal, known as Kobayakawa on his stand as he sat in the back.

He was…a large man, even by, by I might bluntly say…obese standards. His beige suit seemed to be in extravagant pain in attempting to try fitting his rather large form; his belt was obviously quite strained and worn out, and the flab of his skin even spilling out over the collar of his shirt, which made Ken frown at a first glance. He was completely bald, and his ears sunk into his own fatty flesh in a disturbing matter. To make matters worse, the chair he sat on was strained immensely, stretching out and even going in opposite directions as it tried to his weight without being completely destroyed.

I think I saw a screw pop out when he readjusted himself… I feel bad for the manufacturer of the chair.

There were two figures next to him. Beside his left was a woman, who appeared with shaggy, dark brown unkempt hair and dark, almond-brown colored eyes. Her face appeared completely disheveled, showing signs of exhaustion and annoyance, with slight bags under her eyes. She wore a yellow striped sweater with white and red faded horizontal lines, a blue denim skirt, white heels, and carried a notebook underneath her arm, most likely to preserve the information of one of the other people in the room.

To Kobayakawa's right was the man which had the familiar voice I had heard. He looked around the age of the prominent members of the Shadow Operatives, which meant around the ages of Junpei-san, Yukari-san, or Mitsuru-san. He had a fair complexion, having swept back gray-black hair and onyx black eyes. He wore an unbuttoned black blazer over a white dress shirt, which was promptly paired with a thin black ribbon tie. Wearing slacks and dress shoes of the same color, a prominent feature was the existence of a thin pair of glasses on his face, with a black frame on only the underside.

The two of these appeared to be staff members, probably teachers. The other two though, to which the four of us from our side noted, weren't. The first, who appeared to be interacting on the other person's behalf, was a middle-aged bespectacled man. He had slicked-back dark hair with a receding hairline, gray eyes, and a chinstrap beard with a goatee that flared out with emphasis. He wore a pale pink dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, which was underneath a white blazer, alongside pale khakis held up with a white leather belt and white loafers.

And finally, the person he was with. To our surprise, he was a student, just like us. He appeared to be a second year, judging the number two badge on his blazer. He had wavy, unkempt black hair and piercing dark gray eyes which were sheeted by a pair of black glasses. Compared to the likes of Ken-kun's figure for reference, he appeared to be a bit slimmer and thinner, though still showing a fair bit of mass.

"Ah, you've also arrived." Kobayakawa turns to our group. "Welcome, we've been expecting you."

The man with the goatee coughs, turning our attention back to him as he tries not to sound rude. "Well, if you're done explaining everything to us, mind if we get going? I've got a store to get back to."

"Yes, of course." Kobayakawa nods, but gives a stern look in response as he glances towards the other student in question. "But like we've just discussed… Sakura-san, please, keep a close eye on him. Don't let him cause any trouble outside…"

Trouble? Is there something matter with this boy? My eyes glance over to his face, scanning his eyes as his own wander slowly around the office. For a moment, the two our eyes meet, but all he does is nod in my direction as Sakura-san rubs the back of his head. He didn't appear to be the trouble-making type. Perhaps it was something else? Hmm, a question for thought… But for another time.

"Well… I'll be sure to have a serious talk with him about the situation he's in." Sakura-san answers, his eyes momentarily moving to his right towards the student in question.

The female teacher sighs, but then turns to the black-haired student as well. "…Come to the faculty office when you arrive tomorrow, Kurusu-kun. I'll show you around to your classroom."

The boy now known as Kurusu-san merely nods in response once more, and without wasting another moment, both he and Sakura-san turn to leave the office, with the female teacher soon afterwards. We promptly move to the sides of the door, in which the middle-aged man gives us a small nod and a small 'sorry' in acknowledgement as he and his companion fit in between us. Kurusu-san closes the door as the female teacher exits, leaving only the four of us with Kobayakawa and his other faculty member. Moving in to office, I took note of the details. A potted plant to the teacher's right, light green curtains and shaders behind Kobayakawa's massive figure. And to obviously display his status, a figure case of trophies and awards were present in a cabinet to his left.

"Welcome. Sorry you had to wait." Kobayakawa gives us a grin… Though I could tell that it did not seem to be that sincere. Ken-kun and Saikawa-san seemed to notice this as well, but maintained straight faces. "I am Kobayakawa, the Principal of Shujin Academy."

Giving us a nod in response, we do the same. The teacher next to him, now in full sight, stares at all of us in shock, before expressing a gentle expression a moment later. This appeared to be genuine, which only made me recognize this person… Kobayakawa turns to introduce him to us before I could say anything though.

"This is the teacher in charge of your class, you three." He says, referring to the three of us. "Please, introduce yourself."

"Hello there." The man in question greets us with a smile. "My name's Hidetoshi Odagiri. I'm the homeroom teacher for your class, 3-D. Oh, and here's your school IDs."

Ah… I remember now. Odagiri-san… He was a member of Gekkoukan High's Disciplinary Committee back when we were in our junior year. If I recall, my beloved friend said that he was a confidant, a social link of his that represented the Emperor Arcana. Initially cold, serious, and stern like a model member of the Committee; it was only after my friend's influence that he started to learn the value of friendship and trust. I could see it in the gleam of his eyes, which prompted me to respond with a heartful smile. Taking each of our IDs, it was similar to that of Gekkoukan High's, only that it appeared to be modernized with a red and black coloration with a dark red cover.

"But I'm surprised though, Principal." Odagiri-san turns back to Kobayakawa. "These sudden transfers came in like a rush, and no doubt right before the big tournament as well."

"Well, it can't be helped." Kobayakawa sighs a bit. "Not only was it a sudden transfer in, but those three students had to transfer out due to health reasons."

I noticed Odagiri-san frowning upon him saying that, but he quickly referred back to a neutral expression as Kobayakawa looks at three documents on his desk. He gives them each a look before glancing back at us.

"So, let's see here… From the top down, we have Ken Amada, Labrys Arisato, and Aigis Arisato." He started, luckily not noting the sudden change in expression in both me and Labrys' face. Of all the surnames to bestow us, did Mitsuru-san really have to give us _his_?

"Indeed, sir." Saikawa-san nods in conferment. I gave her a questioning look, to which she merely shrugged in response to.

"Well, we've learned the gist of all your situations. Amada-kun, until last year, you were attending your years at Gekkoukan High at Port Island, having high grades and being a member of the Kendo Team. You said you wanted to broaden your horizons and extend out from the small area you grew up in, especially after your mother left the world while you were young." The fat man said in a faking voice of sympathy. How dare he. "And for you two, Labrys-san and Aigis-san, you two were homeschooled, and followed forth with your guardian because of their transfer in business? Well, regardless of your origins, we humbly welcome you to Shujin Academy as third years."

Labrys frowned for a moment, knowing that it was rude to point out that Ken-kun's mother was deceased. While the boy in question wasn't visibly disturbed by the comment, I noted how he made a balled fist behind his back.

"That's correct." I say.

Odagiri-san seemed to sense our disapproving nature of the Principal, fake coughing to gain our attention. "Well, that should be enough for now. They're probably still tired from their flight through the country. I just need to remind you three to read the student rules to get an understanding of our expectations, and when you come in tomorrow, visit me in the faculty office on the second floor so I can introduce you to your classroom."

We all nodded, and then turned to follow Saikawa-san out the room. After reaching the entrance, Ken-kun stopped and sighed, pinching the sides of his temple.

"Sheesh…" He muttered in disapproval. "Not only is his appearance horrifically unapproving, he had the nerve to speak of our circumstances with a fake tone of sympathy?"

Saikawa then turned to face him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Looks like your past is following you, even here. I'm glad you handled the situation accordingly though."

"I for one, don't approve of that fella…" Labrys shivered with disgust. "It looked like he was goggling all over me and Sister…"

"I am just hoping that the rest of the faculty and students aren't like him." I voice out my opinion. "At least one of them seemed to friendly."

"Ah, you mean Odagiri-san?" Saikawa-san responded. "I was surprised when I first discovered he was a teacher here. A friendly face will do good for us."

That all put a smile on our faces. With nothing left for us to do, it was time to leave. We were thinking of fully exploring the facility, but it was left that we would do so tomorrow or at a later date. With nothing else impending our next move, we decided to head back and prepare for the next day.

Still, it was interesting to see a familiar face… But that boy, Kurusu-kun… He reminded me of my beloved friend for a moment. That quiet demeanor and calm looking attitude, it also reminded me of Narukami-san. Hmm… I might be getting over my head, but it wouldn't be doubtful to think he could be a suitable candidate for the Wild Card.

* * *

**…**

_April 11th, 2016._

Today was the day of our initiation. We woke up early, taking a bit of time to prepare all of our necessary school materials. After Ken-kun and Koromaru ate, we all proceeded to leave the apartment and make our way toward the subway station. It was recommended to us by Saikawa-san that she remained as a hidden member of our group, and that we should travel together only for business purposes. Knowing that she was right, we got on the train with some other students and passengers that took us straight to Aoyama-Itchome. I noted all of the stares that the people around us were giving, but paid them no mind as we arrived.

Naturally, due to the sheer population of Tokyo, once the train brought us and stopped in the station of Aoyama-Itchome, we had a bit of trouble getting off the train due to the packed passengers walking out around them, but we nonetheless prevailed and made our way out of the station, focus down a street with a crowd of students and entered the school with the other students. The first thing we did was went up the stairs to the second floor and entered the faculty office to meet and greeted Odagiri-san. He quickly brought us up to date with our situation, before he stood up and brought us out of the faculty room to descend down a floor to head towards our classroom.

Right as we entered the room, I immediately noted away some students that stood out from the rest of the group already sitting down. One was a fair-skinned, short shoulder-length puffy pink-haired, pink-eyed girl wearing a long sleeve pale pink sweater with long white pants and black shoes on her feet, while another had brown hair in a bob cut with blunt bangs and a French-braid styled headband that matched her hair color. She oddly had dark red eyes, and wore a black halter vest over a long sleeve white shirt with a turtleneck, black pantyhose, and black-brown ankle boots.

Odagiri-san—no, Sensei, took his place at the podium while we each wrote down our names on the blackboard before turning to display ourselves.

"Quiet down now, class. Before we begin, I'd like to introduce three new transfer students into our class. Please, introduce yourselves." Odagiri-sensei said to the class before he glanced at us.

Ken-kun was the first to step up. "Hello, my name's Ken Amada. It's nice to meet you all. I transferred here from Gekkoukan High."

Labrys was a bit nervous, but she quickly swallowed and rolled with it. "H-Hey there, everyone! Name's Labrys Arisato. I'm from the island of Yakushima! Hope to get along with everyone!"

"And I am Aigis." I greeted with a slight bow. "From the same place. We all hope to get along with everyone."

Finishing our introductions, like I thought, the chatter and murmuring between the students began. I could hear almost all of their gossiping words, and it wasn't just because of the accuracy of my sensors. They were just that loud. It was a wide contrast to how nice and accepting the students of Gekkoukan High were. The heart of Tokyo was a prime spot for rumors and baseless propaganda spreading, whereas Port Island was more civilized and relaxing.

_"I heard about that one transfer student, but to think we were getting three more?!" _A couple of gossiping male students muttered. _"At least they seemed better than him…"_

_"But look at those two girls! Gold and silver, heh heh?" _A male student noted with an obvious tone of voice of interest. Several others nodded in approval of his remark.

_"That male student's pretty hot looking, don't you think?" _A few female students giggled. _"I wonder if we can ask him to hang out?"_

As the sitting students continued to gossip, it was then that Odagiri-sensei directed us to our seats. There three available in the middle of the room, and just happening to be surrounding the two other female students that I took note of.

"Well, let's assign your seats. For you Amada-kun… Why don't you settle behind Nijima-san? For you, Labrys-san, there's a seat beside her right, next to Okumura-san." He first directed.

Okumura… Ah, another tinge of familiarity flourished through my memories. She must be Haru Okumura, the only daughter of the CEO of Okumura foods.

"And for you, Aigis-san… There's a free seat next to Nijima-san." Odagiri-sensei recommended. With a nod, the three of us gathered forth to our respective seats. Said red-eyed girl gave me a rundown look, as if to suspect or guess what kind of person I was. I understood that it wasn't done in an offensive matter, but perhaps… Maybe she had something on her mind to automatically do something like that?

Glancing to my right, Labrys immediately sat down next to Okumura-san, introducing herself with a few whispers. Fortunately, despite the other girl's royal-looking aura, she seemed to be quite friendly in fact, showing a warm smile as she introduced herself to my sister. It seemed that there were at least some individuals that could learn to just establish a friendly relationship from the get-go without any bias, compared to the likes of the other students whispering around us. I could hear their voices, with various thoughts on my appearance. It must have been because of the color for Labrys' and I's hair, as well as our eye coloration that we gained a sort of yin-yang opposition. Interesting, but not completely worth dwelling into.

Breaking me out of my thoughts however was the girl I was assigned to sit next to. She glanced at me, engaging in a conversation with a slightly sympathetic tone towards me.

"I apologize for the rudeness that the other students are showing, Arisato-san." She apologies with a small nod. "Please, don't let it get to you."

"Of course. Why would I be bothered by what others think of my appearance?" I respond, earning a change of expression in her face. "Oh, I never got to know your name."

"A-Ah… My apologies again." The girl flinches slightly, her face showing tinges of red embarrassment before turning back to a proper stance. We exchanged handshakes as she introduced herself. "My name is Makoto Nijima. I'm Shujin Academy's Student Council President."

"A pleasure, Nijima-san." I gave a smile in response. The Student President, hm? Perhaps she could have information regarding some of the nearby incidents, given that she has to be quite intelligent and knowing of events around campus. I'll have to ask her later about it however.

* * *

**…**

Class soon got underway as we were introduced. To my expectancy, the material that we were expected to learn was up to date with school standards, but the overall information remained relatively the same, if anything, actually easier than what I remember from my senior year at Gekkoukan High. The only major difference that I could list was the behavior and actions of my peers and instructors. Besides Odagiri-sensei, many of the other teachers had their own quirky natures, which did remind me of some of the more extravagant ones from Gekkoukan, though it wasn't a bad thing in my opinion. The students though were ever so peering towards us transferees.

My thoughts lasted until the end of the last period however. Odagiri-sensei, who was in charge of history and ethnics, dismissed us for our lunch period.

"Alright, that's it for now. We'll resume once we're all back from break." He chuckled, quickly gathering his teaching material and leaving the room.

Soon… No, more like right after he left, once our lunch break started, students began to stand up and scatter about. Some were already starting to gather together to eat, rearranging their desks and taking out various things from their bags. Other students dashed out like madmen, hoping to rush towards the cafeteria or bread stands in order to get their desired.

While they were occupied with that, before the three of us could decide what to do, some male and female students began to approach us. The girls were appeared shy as they stepped up towards Ken-kun.

"Um… Uh… H-Hello, Amada-kun." One of them greeted nervously. She had long brown hair, while another female student with short black haired gestured similarly with a smile.

"Oh, hello there. How can I help you two?" Ken-kun glanced towards them with a gentle tone. The first girl blushed a little bit, which earned a bit of a snicker from Labrys.

"W-Well, I… I mean we… We were both wondering if you're free to hang out with us after school today?" She then asked, gulping when she gathered the courage to say her words.

"Yeah, same with us too!" A few of the guys that approached Labrys and I then said. "How about it?"

The three of us glanced over together, wondering what we should do. Ken-kun didn't look particularly interested, though he didn't dare show it on his face. Labrys was a bit unsure now that the attention was being redirected to her. Knowing that the two of them probably didn't want to give off a bad impression in this already rumor-driven school, I nodded mentally while turning over to the students attempting to win us over.

"I'm sorry, but we'll have to decline…" I gave them a small bow with an apologetic tone. "We wanted to spend some time exploring around school and the local area from where we live. I think we'll be comfortable with going out after getting used to the sights around here."

"Oh… that's too bad." Said the long brown-haired female student. "But yeah, I get what you're trying to say, no harm done."

"Yeah… Well, maybe next time then." Said one male student before he and his friends turned and walked away.

With that in mind, we actually had to take action. Nodding towards Ken-kun and Labrys, we proceeded to get up from our desks and left the classroom, and while I did hear some other students wondering about why I declined the others' offer, it didn't appear to be the nitpicky type at lease.

Oddly enough, as we exited the room walked down the stairs, we all noticed some strange things. The first was that inside the hallways, we caught a look at some of the male students with bruises and bandages on their heads and arms, some of them even had black eyes and other disturbing features on their body; and no doubt that if their faces and arms were that messed up, there were wounds underneath their clothing as well. Nonetheless, as we ventured toward the cafeteria on the first floor, we came to a stop when we saw two teachers standing and scolding two male students standing in front of the front gates of Shujin Academy.

Through the front entrance before a slouched, short blond-haired, vulgar and scowling-looking male student. I couldn't hear what they were bickering about specifically, but after a little while, the vulgar-looking boy dreadfully followed the teacher into the school towards the faculty office.

To my surprise, another student came through the gates just a moment later on. It was Kurusu-kun of all people… I wonder what… Wait, what is this feeling that I'm getting from him?

Ken-kun and Labrys turned to me as I narrowed my eyes, activating the visor on my headset for a moment. My eyes widened as I gasped in surprise. Labrys, frowning at my reaction, turned to Kurusu-kun and placed on her visor as well, reacting similarly.

"W-What?" Ken-kun blinked in confusion. "Do you two see something?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm just as surprised as Sister!" Labrys squeaked as we both retracted our visors. "Holy moly...!"

That only made Ken-kun more anxious. "Well, what was it...?"

"…A _Persona_." I replied bluntly. "And that of the Fool Arcana."

"The Fool? Wait, are you telling me that that guy is—"

"Let's not get to assumptions." I quickly respond, but my eyes were deadlocked on Kurusu-kun as he sighed in response to the teacher scolding him. "But I want to trust my scanning for the time being."

But… There was no mistake.

That sensation that I felt off from him, I felt it before. Not just from myself, but also from my dear friend. In that brief moment when I placed my visor on, it allowed me to see things not known to the naked eye. And right behind Kurusu-kun was a glowing blue figure with a red marked face. It appeared to be humanoid and possessed a pair of gigantic wings, but it was only until when Kurusu-kun finally walked towards us that my vision popped into blue as our eyes met for a moment. All of a sudden, the figure floating behind him became much clearer. The flaming illusion appearance vanished off as the rattling of chains allowed the figure to become fully fleshed out.

I gave it a good look from top to bottom as time seemed to slow down for me. The first thing that stood out on this Persona was a very tall top hat alongside a long-horned mask with a vibrant red and orange glow. After that, a cropped red eighteenth century-esque suit worn open with the collar popped, stitched heart designs on the shoulders, a white ruffle tie, a black, tailed corset running down its torso, and large, black, feathery wings starting at around the small of its back. It had very long and pointy fingernails; and red coverings on its legs resembling pants that would go with the cropped coat and heeled shoes with blade-like heels.

In my psyche, I could feel my own Persona, Pallas Athena, tumbling about, warning me about this Persona. Though this Persona took on the form of what appeared to be a demonized form of a gentleman thief, Athena seemed to had sensed something else radiating from this figure.

I dared not even say a word once the Persona itself took a glance in my direction. Even though it didn't have a face, it appeared to had given me a wink, tipping its hat in accordance as my vision then returned to normal.

"Oh, you are…" Kurusu-kun approached us. "The ones from the other day."

"O-Oh, yeah…" Labrys slipped up a little. "You're Kurusu… Er…?"

"Akira." He responded with a neutral tone before giving a gesturing nod. "Akira Kurusu, second year."

"Oh, then we're your senpai?" Ken-kun then replied, calming down from our sudden declaration. "Nice to meet you. We're all third years. My name's Ken Amada."

"She is Labrys, and I am Aigis." I then respond. "Our surnames are Arisato, Kurusu-kun."

Kurusu-kun nodded, taking a moment to register our names into his memory. Before he could properly say goodbye to us and enter the building however, the teacher that appeared to take in that vulgar looking boy came out. He took a look at all four of us before giving a seemingly friendly smile.

"Oh, here's some unfamiliar faces. Could you four be the new transfer students?" He asks.

"That's right, we are." Ken-kun replied with a nod of his head to the teacher. "The three of us are third years, while he's a second year."

Taking a moment to introduce ourselves, the teacher rubbed his chin in interest. Taking a look at him, I observed his appearance… As well as the gazes that he was giving me, Labrys, and Kurusu-kun. Towards us girls, it was a vulgar and inappropriate one, while the look towards Kurusu-kun appeared to be distain and annoyance, though both of these impressions lasted only for a brief moment. Nevertheless, his actual appearance was that of a tall, mildly built and athletic man with black hair. Wearing a white jersey shirt, he also had black trousers and a stopwatch around his neck.

"Ah, I see… Well, my name is Suguru Kamoshida. I'm Shujin Academy's P.E teacher and an alumnus in charge of the Volleyball Team. Maybe you'll take a look at the team? I hope that maybe you'll join if it interests any one of you." He offers with a wide smile before turning around. "Well, I've gotta get back to the faculty office. Enjoy your time in this school everyone."

Turning to leave, the four of us looked back at one another. Kurusu-kun sighs a bit, before scooting in between us.

"Well, I have to report to the faculty office. I was a bit late after all." He gave us an apologetic tone. "If you'll excuse me."

"Of course." I nod, the three of us backing off and watching as he began to walk up towards the second floor. It was then that I started to hear murmurs and small talk around the school however. People whispering something Kurusu-kun. How he was someone that assaulted someone, or how he could've been one of the types to be the quiet but suddenly explode in anger. Carrying a knife around with him, being a poor kid from the countryside boonies… How horrible. I could see how Ken-kun meant when he said that this generation was quite rude.

But that Persona of his proved otherwise. Most images of Personas reflected the situation of their user's heart. Athena for example exemplified my desire to protect and served, and if you were to take a look at either Shirogane-san or Narukami-kun's Personae, they took on their forms to figure out the truth of their situations no matter what.

That Persona however… It represented a strong surging sensation of rebellion. To break the chains that held one down by others and society… What that how Kurusu-kun viewed the world? How shocking… But also, interesting.

Taking another look at Ken-kun and Labrys, a small curve was seen on my lips.

"It is time to start our investigation…"

* * *

**And that's the second chapter.**

**Now, keep in mind, while I want to keep some of the elements that make Persona 5 what it is, I also wanted to change the story a little bit. Implied rape, whether or not it actually happened, I'm still a bit hesitant to write that since I really like Shiho as a character. Think of it as having Aigis' protective nature going into full use? I'll let you guys read into that once the chapter comes out.**

**Also, regarding the P3 characters and their interactions with Mementos and the Metaverse, because the "Igor" that is guiding the P5 MC hands out the Meta Nav does so in interest to those around him, is it hard to say that anyone who has the potential to become a Persona user or is already one can get access to the app by be pulled into the world? Sort of how Ann was during the first heist, but because Aigis and the others are unexpected pieces in the game, things might have to go differently…**

**Well, that's all I wanted to say. I might try to answer these questions on my own, but I want to hear you guys' opinions and thoughts on the matter. Leave a comment or a review, I'd really appreciate it. See you all in the next chapter.**


	3. A Different Side of Reality

**AN/N: Hello again everyone, another chapter for reading.**

**Once again, thanks for all the reviews and comments; they're really helpful. Though I wanted to address some of them.**

**I agree with your words, Kinaki747. After going through another playthrough of P3P, I did realize that people can represent different Arcana. Akihiko and Shinjiro are perfect examples, since Akihiko's Persona represents the Emperor Arcana while his Social Link is the Star, while the latter's Persona represents the Hierophant, but his Social Link is the Moon. Aigis would make sense in this case.**

**Regarding the seemingly strange tone of speaking for the dialogue and wording of this entire story, I do apologize. I normally don't write like this, but the reason why I was doing so was because I was trying to interpret a way to how Aigis herself would speak. Prior to gaining proper emotions, her dialogue was robotic and high in vocabulary, though over time is has gotten more relaxed. Perhaps I should look into Persona 4 Arena and Ultimax and see what would suit her best based on her inner dialogue. Other than though, I'll start writing how I usually do from this forth onwards.**

**For Aigis' Social Links, I do plan to involve some of the Phantom Thieves as some of the representatives, but I plan to bring back some old characters to fill in the for the 22 total Arcana.**

**Now, for the topic of the Shadow Operatives entering the Metaverse on their own, I have a few ideas. I'm thinking that either Fuuka or someone back in the Kirijo Group could hack into one of the Phantom Thieves' phones and extract the data from the Meta-Nav, or like Sociallinksora proposed, used the pseudo Dark-Hour device to create an effect similar to entering the Metaverse. Well…it's those two, or I can have Elizabeth do some shenanigans as she always does as a ruler of power. "Igor" is the one that actually gives out the application after all.**

**And that should be it for the time being. Let me know what you think of this chapter.**

**Also, I'm seriously excited for P5R, though mostly I was nearly crying due to seeing the Protagonists from P3 and P4… YOU GET TO GET WRECKED BY FUSION-SPELLS I HOPE?! ARMAGEDDON!**

* * *

**The Phantom Angel**

**Chapter 3: **_A Different Side of Reality_

**…**

_April 2016, mid-month profile storing process initiating._

Replaying saved transmission contents.

…

…

Files successfully identified, replaying messages:

_It hadn't occurred to me until after I had discovered this new 'world' with the others... We hadn't previously discussed much about the conditions to why Tartarus and the TV World had appeared, mostly because we already had so much info on the former, and that the latter was difficult to explain to the average person. If I were to elucidate in my own understanding, these worlds were manifested, or had already existed, due to the everlasting existence of the human unconscious. Rather, while attending my own journey, Igor-san would refer to this phenomenon as the Sea of Souls, a universal setting that linked together the souls of the many connected by the collective unconscious._

_Tartarus was a sort of…infection prompted out from the Sea of Souls, leaking into the real world due to the concentrated amount of Shadows that the Kirijo Group had gathered together during that incident well over a decade ago. By manipulating the hearts of mankind, they dared to try and temper with supernatural entities and control them, leading to the fabled accident._

_Evidently, now that I am remembering all of this, I recall some words that Narukami-san and Shirogane-san had once told me, which also prompted myself to relieve memories of the Great Seal._

_The TV World, better properly known as the Midnight Channel, was proposed to be another part of the Sea of Souls, primarily targeting the collective desire to the learning of truth and the wishes of the people. The reason why these phenomena occurred in the first place was because of the collective unconscious's hidden desire to see these wishes be granted. Wishing to stop the sufferings they face in their daily lives, and by turning into Shadows or yearning for death, they yearn for an underlying reality where their needs would be taken care for, whether forcefully or not._

_What these entities did not take into mind however was the potential of humanity: the small, but prideful representation of those who weren't tempted by such conditions. Persona users, such as those in SEES and the Shadow Operatives, or that of the Investigation Team, confronted their inner desires for the hope that humanity could make their own decisions and have their own will to live and go on._

_Nyx and the Great Seal were dominating examples. Now that my memories served me correctly, when we arrived in that starry world and confronted Erebus, it seemed at first to be simply 'space'… We were in fact standing firm and straight right in the middle of the Sea of Souls itself. Because Nyx and Erebus both represent two universal aspects of life, the concept of Death and the coming and yearning for Death respectively, it would make sense that they would exist within the seemingly endless ocean of souls. Knowing that the vast sea contained many strayed individuals, my beloved friend took it upon himself to prevent the mass incarnate from achieving their dangerous temptations._

_In response to his sacrifice, it would be our duty to create a world where the people stop longing for The Fall, or to stop longing for their lives to be concealed and unwilling to move on with a truthful goal in life._

_I shall never give up. For his sake, and for the sake of my friends. After all, I exist to protect, as is revolves around my name, Aigis._

_…_

_…_

End of data entry. Shadow Operative serial #5, signing off.

* * *

**…**

_April 11th, 2016. After School._

It was now the final period for the day. Most of the class periods we had prior to this were review or introductory lessons, things that I had already learned about. For Ken-kun and Labrys however, it was a bit fulfilling for them to acknowledge the fact that the former was actually completing his final year of high school, while the latter was experiencing was it was meant to be to act like a student while also blending in with the populace. As the final bell rang out throughout our classroom and out of the entirety of the facility, our teacher got up to lecture us on a few things that we ought to remember, before baring farewell to us and leaving the classroom.

It did not take long for me to recollect my possessions and stand up, but before the three of us could leave the classroom, Nijima-san stood up and turned towards us.

"Ah, Arisato-san… Er, I mean, Aigis-san." She corrected herself, knowing that Labrys and I shared the last surname. "Are you busy after school?"

The three of us turn to face her. Was she intending to invite us out? It would be a good idea to get a better understanding of the area. Even if she weren't… I suppose the experience would still allow me to memorize the school's layout. Glancing at Ken-kun and Labrys, they both gave me an approving nod, prompting me to face back at her.

"No, not in particular. We were really just thinking of looking around the area to oversee the local attractions." I replied. "Did you need something?"

"In fact, I was thinking of something similar to you, though for something relatively nearby." Nijima-san smiles, contrary to her questioning. "It might not be the entirety of Tokyo, but I was wondering if you three would take an offer to have me show you the sights and areas of the school? If you don't mind, that is. I'm assuming that you three are still a bit confused as to where and what everything is."

"That's true…" Ken-kun replies. "Sure, we can go with that, right?"

"Yeah, sure!" Labrys smiles.

I nodded, but it was then that when Nijima-san picked up her bag, I noticed that her expression was a bit troubled. Raising my brow in response, I figured that she may have been using this opportunity to relief herself of some bothering experience. Not that I mind, however.

She responds with a heartful smile a moment later, slinging her bag's straps over onto her shoulder. "Alright then. Let's start from the entrance, shall we?"

With that in mind, the four of us began to follow through and exit the classroom.

And as expected, the Student Council President of Shujin Academy was very professional in the way she acted, but in a way… It wasn't in the same demeanor to how Mitsuru-san acted as the Student Council President of Gekkoukan High. Instead of going through her own pace and acting all as an actual leader on her own, in my eyes, it looked as though she was trying to appeal her way up the hierarchal ladder of the school's system, though it didn't seem to be a conscious decision by her own person. Perhaps it was a complex on her own side?

Approaching the school entrance, Nijima-san began to point out various things from the outside. The shrubbery, the surrounding neighborhood; while the information was useful indeed, as she went off with her lecture-like touring, it was then that I noted off another certain student who was wearing the red and white gym uniform of the school. She was the student that sat next to Labrys. I believe her name was…

"…Okumura-san?"

I walked over to her, standing next to her person. I took a look towards what she was endeavoring to do. She was attempting to push a cart filled to the brim with hefty bags of fertilizer, not even giving it a nudge despite her best efforts.

"Come… On! Please… Move!" She grunts hopelessly, before nearly jumping in shock at the mention of her surname. "Hyah?!"

"Oh, my apologies. I did not mean to startle you." I quickly acclaim words of apologies. Blinking a few times, she gives off a small sigh before giving me a small giggle.

"Ah, my bad…" She admits. "You are… Aigis-san, correct? I don't believe I've properly introduced myself. I'm Haru Okumura. But please, just call me Haru."

I respond with a nod, my eyes then glancing over to the heavy piles of fertilizer bags. Haru-san notices my gesture, before also turning over to them. "Oh! Um… Would you happen to be interested in gardening?"

Gardening… It reminded me of when Yukari-san and I visited the former Kirijo Group lab station. It had turned into a greenhouse over a long period of time and abandonment, but it also gave a sense of gentle comfort for my lost sisters.

"Yes." I then respond with a tender smile. "It's a gentle activity done to respect the stages of life, as well as those significant to your lifetime and growth as a person."

"Yes, yes!" Haru-san responds with a happy grin, before sheepishly twirling her fingers. "Er… If it's not too trouble, could you help me unload this? I wanted to attend to the shrubbery around here for their daily maintenance, but I'm not that…"

"Surely." I respond, knowing the gist of the situation.

"Oh, I can carry some as—Oh. Huh… That's…impressive, Aigis-san."

Before she could respond, I sauntered over to the bags of fertilizer, lifting them all up with a single arm… Hmm, if I had to compare the weight, it would be just a tad bit under what my beloved friend weighted... Strange, did I ever carry my beloved friend before? Now that I think about it, my own memories are a bit fuzzy about any kind of correlation to it, but it would seem that my body remembers the sensation somehow.

Nevertheless, whilst blistering under the effect of Haru-san's amazement at my supposed supernatural strength, I carried the luggage to the nearby hedging, gently placing them down in an upright position.

"T-Thank you. You sure are strong, Aigis-san." Said jersey wearing girl said. "Do you train?"

"Train?" I think to myself for a moment. Specifically saying, I only trained my mental and phycological thinking, as well as the abilities of my Persona. In terms of physical strength, my parameters are determined by the type of body that I utilize. Compared to my old modeled body, I suppose that even though this one resembles a more or less fragile form, the power behind it would be the same, or greater if this was supposed to be an upgrade.

But in terms of training, I suppose that fighting against Shadows would count, so I nodded after confirming my thoughts. "Yes. Back at where Labrys and I lived, it was key that we kept up our physical form. We also tended to perform gracious amounts of cardiovascular activities, typically with long sessions of walking or running to various places."

Haru-san was a bit taken back by my remark again. "O-Oh, I see… That's nice, you get to go around to pretty much everywhere you please I'm assuming?"

"Indeed. It is a wondrous experience. I believe that in order to truly live, one should have the ability and freedom to perform activities that they wouldn't have the chance to do so normally." I say.

However, while Haru-san did seem to be in agreement, as I looked upon her face, there seemed to be a tone of sadness on it. Was it perhaps something I said? I would of like to ask her, but I feel as though it would have been awkward to get to something so personal. If I had to guess in the long run though, it would be her situation as being the sole family member of the famed Okumura family, being the only daughter and only child of its CEO. To be quite frank, her situation would sort of be like Mitsuru-san's, granted that Okumura Foods wasn't involved in trying to harness the abilities of supernatural phenomenon and the calling of a Death God to our world.

I digress though. Looking at Haru-san, I decided to end the conversation, bearing her a friendly farewell before turning back to the others; and to my own disbelief, Nijima-san was still going on with her speech. I snickered a little upon seeing Labrys' disordered expressions. Even Ken-kun was trying to keep a straight face with how much information that our fellow senior was giving out.

As I began stroll back to them, I glanced my eyes back to Haru-san. While her expression wasn't back completely to its puffy self, it was looking a bit better now that she was attending to her hobby. I could see a small smile on her face growing by the moment. Perhaps I could talk with her again sometime, or maybe even establish a Social Link?

Returning, Nijima-san immediately turned to frown at me. "Aigis-san? Where were you?"

"Helping out someone with luggage." I answer with a tone of vagueness in my voice. I didn't want Haru-san to get involved with anything else for the time being.

The answer seemed to be satisfactory for Nijima-san, who merely shrugged as she turned back towards the school.

"Very well then. Anyhow, how about I give you all a tour of the other facilities? Maybe some of the various clubs or sports teams?"

"…"

"…"

Today was going to be a long day indeed.

* * *

**…**

_Evening_

After a painstakingly long tour of the school, the three of us had finally returned home to our residence in Ginza, barring a somewhat heartful farewell from Shujin's Student Council President.

On the bright side, awaiting us was Koromaru and Saikawa-san, the former barking happily as well as running circles around us as we entered through the main hallway. Both Labrys and Ken-kun went to appropriate him with their desired pets and fluffery as we all took a seat in the living room.

"Welcome back." Saikawa-san greets us as we all take a seat. "So, how was your first day?"

"It was pretty cool!" Labrys grins widely. "But… I could've gone without all the staring and such."

"Well, the two of you are quite contrasting compared to the average Japanese student." Ken-kun notes with a smirk. "Besides, out of all the students there, you two are some of the only ones that look like foreigners. I heard there's a second year with foreign blood. I think her name was… Takamaki?"

"Really now?" Labrys turns to him. "What, is she pretty or something?"

"I've only heard some bits and parts from when Nijima-san was dragging us around, but apparently she works as a model for her part-time job… However, as a person herself, she seems to be spoken about in a generally negative way." Ken-kun replies. "It's more like they're berating her for her looks and origins, though I don't know if it's out of jealousy or hatred."

"That's certainly an interesting event." Saikawa-san nods, before turning to me. "How about you, Aigis? Did you discover anything today?"

I nod, which prompted Ken-kun's and Labrys' expressions to change once I donned a formal look.

"Affirmative. We have confirmed the existence of a Persona user in Shujin Academy." I reveal, acknowledging a widening in Saikawa-san's eyes. "And not just that, but the Persona belongs to that of the Fool Arcana."

"Are you serious?" She responds, hands on her knees. "Are you absolutely positive?"

"100%!" Labrys confirms. "Sister and I even wore our specialized visors to see the Persona's form whilst it wasn't materialized. It sorta looked like…a thief, though a bit freaky in a sense."

Saikawa-san takes in all of this information, nodding a few times before reaching into her phone. "Very well. You seem to be familiar with this student, I assume?"

We all nod, prompting her to text a message to a certain leader of ours. After doing so, she stares straight at us before standing up. "Then we can finally get started on our mission."

With that in mind, Saikawa-san took on a straight posture as she stood up. She gestured for us to follow, prompting the four of us to gallantly trail into her own room on the first floor. It wasn't anything special, but it did have the proper appearance for the person who was Mitsuru-san's personal maid and childhood friend. Their tastes were a bit similar in that regard, but that wasn't the thing we were there for.

"What's all this for?" Ken-kun asks with a curious expression on his face.

"Equipment for the three…no, four of you." Saikwawa-san answers. "Aigis and Labrys should already have their weapons, but Amada-kun and Koromaru still need to be endorsed with some weaponry for our upcoming operations, plus the four of you all need armor as well. Here, take a look."

Taking hold of a large wooden container, she uncovers the lid to reveal four individual boxes. She quickly hands each of them to us, allowing us a moment to open them up. I was quite surprised by what I saw, not by how formal it looked mind you, but also by how…normal it seemed to look in appearance.

"Armor? Aren't these just typical Shadow Operative uniforms?" Labrys tilts her head upon holding her out outfit in the open. Shadow Operative uniforms consisted of jet-black blazers and slacks with bits of armored coverings. They also held a few openings for medicinal supplies, and for those with the ability to wield Personas, there was also a sling for keeping one's Evoker.

"Yes, but we've outfitted them to be even stronger than before, we've experienced too many casualties due to a lack of serious protection. Also, we thought it would be better for you all to better disguise yourselves, so there's a few more additional functionalities." Our advisor answers, turning around for a moment before doing so once more to show us a few curious masks, enough only to cover our upper faces however.

"Masks?" I say aloud. "Are these really necessary? I doubt that we would need them."

"Better safe than sorry. If this new Shadow Nest is anything like Tartarus or the Midnight Channel, then who knows the location from which you guys can enter. With how populated Tokyo is, there's a risk that the public may accidentally discover your identities. That could compromise everyone and everything."

"I see…" I forget how blunt that Saikawa-san can be sometimes. Not that it's a bad thing though.

"Wait, I get how we'll be able to wear disguisable armor, but what about our weapons? I doubt that we can just roam around carrying giant double-bladed axes and spears in the middle of the streets." Ken-kun argues, bringing forth another valid point.

"Oh, did I forget to mention that we've developed compactible versions of your weapons along with the new upgrades?" It was then that Saikawa-san gave him a cheeky smirk, twirling a small, black cylinder in her hand. Pointing it out towards us, it nearly extended out towards my face as it grew out to the length of a fully embellished spear.

Labrys nearly fell over from seeing how close it was to me. "G-Geez! I didn't that you were a bit on the other side like Mitsuru-san!"

"Well, enough about that." Our purple haired maid quickly reverts back to her stoic face as the extendable spear regresses back to its compacted form. "I'm assuming that none of you have any other complaints then?"

We all remained silent, though mostly due to the shocking flash in emotional responses that our pseudo-leader showed to us. Regardless though, I was quite satisfied by how prepared this next operation was going to be. Weapons and armor, utilities to blend in with the crowd, tools to gather information; the only thing we have to do now is actually start the investigation. Meaning…

_'…Looks like I'm going to have to show my true tailing skills once more.' _I decided. I wonder if my beloved friend would think negatively to me expertly stalking someone in the middle of the capital of Tokyo. He was already pretty unsettled by the fact that I stalked him all the way up to his room back during the Kyoto trip. I could hear some strange music playing in my mind as I thought of the would-be scenario.

* * *

**…**

_April 12th, 2016._

Today was officially the start of our mission.

Our objective: secure connections to the Tokyo Persona user(s) and the entrance to the newly spawned Shadow Nest. Prioritize investigations rather than direct confrontation, but in the case that we must infer ourselves on the former, make our actions as discreet as possible.

With that in mind, it was simply a case of waiting for our classes to end. Luckily for us, today was a rainy day, which would be even better for allowing the four of us to sneak up on Kurusu-kun. Unfortunately for Koromaru though, the poor thing had to survive in the rain for a while. Luckily, when we began to exit the facility, we found him standing near the school entrance under a building's cover, wagging his tail anxiously as he wore his new equipment. It consisted of a black Kevlar vest for canines, and he also wore his custom-made Evoker collar, now designed to resemble an actual collar.

People were giving him odd looks, but I suppose it was mostly due to the fact that he was wearing policing equipment, and the detail that Koromaru was an albino shiba inu.

"Koro-chan!" Labrys grinned, picking him up. He licked her face a few times before being put down.

"Alright, now that we're all here, let's wait for Kurusu-kun to step out." Ken-ken advised. Acknowledging a nod from all of us, we proceeded to wait at the school gates.

It took a little bit of time, but after a good while of playing with Koromaru and idle chatter, my eyes caught a familiar head of fluffy, unkept hair. Glancing in the corner of my eyes, I nudged everyone else as another familiar student met up with him. It was the same blond haired, vulgar looking boy from yesterday.

"Yo." He greets Kurusu-kun. "Got a minute?"

A pleasant expression of surprise was shown on Kurusu-kun's face, but he didn't appear to be bothered by the boy's appearance. "Sure. What's up?"

Glancing around a few times, the blond boy folds his arms up, leaning towards his friend's direction in a discreet matter. _"…I wanna talk about that **castle** from yesterday."_

We all looked over in response to that phrasing. A castle? What did he mean? Did Kurusu-kun and his friend possibly wander off into another world just as we thought? I turn around to face Kurusu-kun, whose face was turning to a sterner one as he nodded for his friend to go on.

"I… I tried tellin' myself that it was all a dream, but I just couldn't do it, you know?" He reveals with an ecstatic tone. "And besides, I can't act like nothing happened! This is all connected to that bastard Kamoshida, after all."

"Kamoshida… Does he mean the P.E. teacher? He's the coach for the Volleyball Team, right?" Labrys whispers. We all nod in response as we continue to listen in.

"Yeah, that's true." Kurusu-kun nods. "What're you thinking about though, Sakamoto-kun?"

"Come on man, just call me Ryuji!" The blond boy snickers with a playful look, but quickly reverts back to a serious voice. "But anyways… I wanna find out what's up with that place, no matter what. And y'know, you're the only person I can rely on for this stuff. So, you in?"

Kurusu-kun nods, admitting to his own curiosity as well. "Yeah, I'm still wondering about that myself. The castle, that unsightly version of Kamoshida… And those powers I gained… Persona, was it?"

"Oh? Hey, looks like I managed to talk some sense into you!" Sakamoto-kun grins with a pleasant smile. "Alright, then how about we retrace our steps back from yesterday? It was the school that was the castle I think, but maybe something might've caused us to wander in."

"What, like a portal?" Kurusu-kun jokes with a smile.

"Heck, it could be for all we know." Sakamoto-kun shrugs. "Anyhow, in the meantime, you were walkin' towards the station, right? Let's go together then. Lemme know if you notice anything weird, aight?"

With another nod from Kurusu-kun, the duo proceeded to walk down the opposite street. Over the next few minutes, we then proceeded to follow them, relying on Koromaru to keep a proper distance away. It was a bit strange though; Kurusu-kun and Sakamoto-kun were wandering around quite aimlessly, venturing from the Yongen station and all the way back to the school. They even went through and took some shortcuts, cutting through some alleyways and other small openings.

However, it proved naught in the end. Approaching Shujin Academy for the third time, Sakamoto-kun leaned down in dismay near the gate, with Kurusu-kun glancing at him with a slightly annoyed look on his face as we watched from a nearby alleyway.

"For real…?" He groans, taking a look at the large building. "I… Is it actually smaller than we think it is? What do you think?"

Kurusu-kun cups his chin, thinking of an answer for a moment before turning back to Sakamoto-kun. "Have you tried checking your phone?"

"Nope, I already did that. Nothing like the castle ever showed up on my GPS or anything location related." The blond revealed…before widening his eyes. "Wait… Phone…"

"Hm?" Kurusu-kun blinked a few times in question.

"It was your phone, wasn't it?!" Sakamoto-kun suddenly says in realization. "Didn't you have that weird _navigation app thingy_ on, back then?"

"Navigation app…" Kurusu-kuns a lock of his hair, before also widening his eyes as he takes his phone out from his pocket. "Oh!"

"I'm not sure if it was actually that app thingy, but I heard stuff coming from your phone that sounded like we were traveling to some weird destination." The blond answers back with remembrance, the two of them taking a look through the various applications from Kurusu-kun's phone. "It said stuff like "returned to the real world", or something like that?"

We took a few moments to take all of this in. Taking point to their conversation, we could follow through with the following: the Shadow Nest in Tokyo, or rather, a supernatural destination, did indeed exist, and an entrance lied around the usage of a strange phone application of all things. However, since it only appeared on Kurusu-kun's phone… Perhaps there could've been some tinkering by Igor-san? If I recall correctly, Narukami-san revealed that even before he obtained his Persona, he was given the power to travel into the televisions by an outside factor.

After a few moments of going through the black-haired boy's phone, it was then that I noticed Sakamoto-kun make a frown.

"Huh? What's this weird eyeball-lookin' thing?" He wonders.

Kurusu-kun shrugs. "I'm wondering about that myself. Not only did it suddenly just show up on my phone, I can't delete it. It just shows up again every time I try to trash it."

"Wait, what?" Ryuji raises a brow as he taps the icon for the app. "Huh… What a weird… Wait, this is it!"

Grabbing Kurusu-kun's phone out of his hands, the duo look at the screen, showing a menu with a single location on it, as well as a list for things such as 'keywords', 'descriptions', and the likes. "I knew it—This IS a navigation app! Take a look, there's even your search history!" Sakamoto-kun grins. "Ye-heeeah! I'm such a genius!"

"Really? Then what should we—"

"Let's try usin' it." Sakamoto-kun suddenly says, causing his friend to stagger comically.

"Wait!" He retorts. "You really want to just go for it?"

"It's fine! We're just going to be taking a look." Sakamoto-kuns as he begins to type in a few things into the application's search bar.

"I'm getting a bad feeling about this…" Ken-kun narrows his eyes.

Koromaru seemed to be in agreement as he whimpered. However, as we continued to watch, suddenly, a synthetic voice began to speak out from Kurusu-kun's phone upon applying the keywords that Sakamoto-kun placed.

**_"Kamoshida… Shujin Academy… Pervert… Castle…"_**

**"Beginning Navigation."**

"Alright, there we go!" Sakamoto-kun grins with a triumphant look. "Alright, then I believe we went in a certain direction and—"

Before he could finish that sentence however, I suddenly felt a surge of energy radiating out from Kurusu-kun's phone. Labrys and I immediately placed down out visors, witnessing the twisted and…distorting aura beginning to consume the nearby area. Even Koromaru seemed to sense the eeriness of the application's effects as all of our visions started to twist and turn, curving as we looked around. It was…nauseating, for sure.

"What's going on?!" Ken-kun frowns, grasping his head in discomfort. "Everything's feeling…warped!"

"A surge of energy is transporting us to another location." I answer, looking back at Kurusu-kun and Sakamoto-kun. They began to turn their heads to Shujin Academy, so ours did in return. To our shock, the twisted and deforming nature of the navigation application of Kurusu-kun's phone began to affect the literal building and the nearby surroundings.

And it was just a moment later… That the school _did _change into a castle. Malevolent energy was leaking all over its perimeters, causing me to glare in shock as the readings I got began to stagnate to insane levels. This kind of phenomenon… Wait a moment…

This was just like in Wakaba Isshiki's reports on Cognitive Psience. According to remaining data retrieved by Mitsuru-san's end, the concept of cognition refers to one's perceiving of reality in the world, specifically towards what they personally believe is such. Depending on the intensity and quantity of those who share similar aspects for such desires, such a concept can affect reality on a scale. Since Kamoshida-sensei was the one to be said in the navigation application…

"Wait, isn't this kind of how I was like when I was thrown into the TV World?" Labrys recalls with a grunt. "I thought I was a human student, so strongly that a school was formed by my heart's thoughts."

"I would assume so… In that case, Kamoshida-sensei thinks of this school as a castle, with him as the King no doubt." I growl lowly. "He believes such a thing with such strong intentions that this world of cognition has literally transformed it into his image."

The school turned into a castle had dark, dirty beige bricks for its foundation, with the staircase being replaced by a long dark oak drawbridge. Various amounts of greenery were seen on the top parts, but they appeared to be poorly attended even as they tried to compliment the other decorations, and amongst the walls were wooden barricades meant to storm off invading intruders. The only thing that made it worst was the dreary magenta red miasma floating around the area, complimenting the eerie purple and black sky above the tallest tower in the backwards area.

As the twisting of our visions came to an end, we all stood amongst the duo in front of the castle, still hidden within the alleyway. However, what really caught us off guard was the fact that Kurusu-kun's appearance had completely changed, at least clothing wise. Instead of his Shujin Academy uniform, he instead wore a black ankle-length tailcoat, a high-necked waistcoat with gold accents, black pants, brown-black winklepickers, and a pair of crimson-red gloves. His glasses were also changed into a black and white birdlike domino mask.

"L-Look! It's the castle from yesterday!" Sakamoto-kun yells as he starts to sprint inside. "Come on!"

We watched as the duo began to run across the bridge. We waited for a moment, looking as they then stopped at the entrance to gaze around. We took this opportunity to sneak up, approaching right up to the entrance gate itself. It was then that we ourselves noticed that our appearances had also changed, even it was only slightly.

Underneath our Shujin Academy uniforms, our Shadow Operative clothes had donned themselves on top of us as our former disappeared within blue and black flames. Whilst Labrys and I quickly donned our visors, Ken-kun donned on his mask, frowning as his vision was blurred for a moment as his eyes adjusted to the new perspective. Nonetheless though, we took a moment to confirm everything else before looking back at the duo.

"This castle…" Kurusu-kun muttered.

"We made it back… That means what happened yesterday was for real as well." Sakamoto-kun explained as he looked at his friend, only to flinch at Kurusu-kun's appearance. "W-Woah! Hey, those clothes…!"

The teen in question blinks curiously as he takes his hand out from his pocket, flinching as he only now notices that his clothes have changed. "Huh…"

"That happened last time too, right? What's with that outfit?" The blond teen remembers. Last time… It must've been during Kurusu-kun's awakening. I wonder how it differed from SEES's and the Investigation Team's methods.

Kurusu-kun eyes his clothes, but to our disbelief, he grins in approval as he tugs on his gloves. "Heh… Not bad, huh?"

Sakamoto-kun looked exasperated as he took a step back in disbelief. "You LIKE it?! I mean—Nevermind… Urgh…! What's goin' on here?! This is makin' no effin' sense at all!"

"Tell me about it…" Ken-kun grumbles, before squinting his eyes at a figure that then peeked over from a nearby pillar from the castle's entrance. "Hm?"

Glancing over to said wall, a high-pitched voice sounding like a boy's was heard.

_"Hey!"_

"Huh? Wait, it's you…!" Sakamoto-kun's eyes wandered towards the figure's direction as it wandered out near the duo.

When it appeared, Koromaru nearly barked on instinct, prompting Ken-kun to keep his muzzle closed as we gazed at the appearance of this newcomer.

To my astonishment, when I got a look at this figure, it reminded me deeply of Teddie-san. Well, instead of a bear, this creature was an anthropomorphic cat with the appearance of a thief. Possessing a rather large spheroid head, his fur was predominantly black, with the exception of his white limbs and tail, as well as the bottom half of his face. He wore a bandana-like mask that covered the majority of his upper face, revealing his large blue and black eyes. His outer ears were black with white inner ears.

In regards to his actual equipment, he wore a yellow scarf around his neck and a utility belt around his hips, with two golden buttons and two bags attached which kept a cutlass hanging off from his back.

"…A cat?" Labrys wonders out loud. "Why does that remind me of Teddie?"

"I'm assuming that you're thinking that because of how he looks." Ken-kun guessed with a frown. "We'll discuss the topic of him later, let's keep watching."

Nodding in unison, we did just that. Looking back at the black and white cat, he seemed quite surprised to see Kurusu-kun and Sakamoto-kun in this place again. Perhaps they had met before in this place the last time they were here with him.

"Stop making a commotion." He warns the duo before giving them a stern frown. "It's weird… All of the sudden, the Shadows around this area started acting up, so I came back to see what was the cause… And what do I find—To think that you two would actually come back here to the entrance when you barely managed to escape the last time!"

"Geh… A-Anyways, what is this place? Is it the school?" Sakamoto-kun brushes off the cat's berating as he changes the subject.

The cat nods. "That's right."

"But… It's a frickin' castle of all things? This makes no sense whatsoever!"

"Yes… This castle IS the school. Though, it's only that way to its ruler." The cat answers back. That confirms it then…

"The castle's ruler… Do you mean Kamoshida?" Kurusu-kun cups his chin. "With that haughty appearance and that crown he wore…"

"Yep. This is how he, or rather, his distorted heart views the school, rookie." The cat replies with an all-knowing smile.

"Kamoshida… Distorted…?" Sakamoto-kun scratches his head, before groaning in frustration. "Ugh! Explain it in a way that makes sense!"

"Typical… I shouldn't have expected a moron to get it…" The black and white cat rolls his eyes in disappointment, even going so far as to groom himself in a mocking matter.

"What'd you say?!"

Before the cat could retort to the angry reply from Sakamoto-kun, suddenly, we all heard a scream echoing out from within the castle walls, causing Sakamoto-kun and Kurusu-kun to recoil in reaction.

"Huh?! What was that?!" Said blond quirked.

"It must be the slaves captive here." The cat answers. Sakamoto-kun's eyes widen in shock and disbelief as he processes the words that the cat says.

"Slaves?" Ken-kun raises a brow as he turns to us. "…Do you think they're real?"

"…I doubt it." I answer, recollecting all the information to this point. "If this is a world created by cognition, then most likely that anything that appears in this world is merely superstitious, those versions of themselves are the ideal versions of people that Kamoshida thinks of. How he views them as from his perspective and darkest points."

"I remember seeing a couple of injured male students with bruises and blackeyes. I think they were members of the Volleyball Team. Some of the females were a bit roughed up, but they looked more mentally scarred if anythin', compared to the guys." Labrys also answers.

"Males as slaves… I can only assume what he thinks of the female students at the school…" Ken-kun utters with an anguishing voice of disgust.

Another scream flourishes through the space, causing Sakamoto-kun to pale a little. "Oh shit… It's for real! We saw some other guys being held captive here yesterday… They must be members of the Volleyball Team from our school!"

"Yeah, and most likely on Kamoshida's orders." The cat-like being folds his arms. "It's nothing out of the ordinary; it's pretty much like this every day here."

"But this area seems to be even more riled up than before." Kurusu-kun argues. "Is it because Ryuji and I escaped, Morgana?"

"Most likely. Kamoshida probably lost his temper quite a bit." The cat-being, now revealed as Morgana, answers.

Sakamoto-kun growls with a gut-wrenching hiss. "That son of a bitch…!"

"…Ryuji?" Morgana looks worriedly in his direction.

"This is bullshit!" He suddenly yells, slamming his shoulder into the castle's entrance. "YOU HEAR ME, KAMOSHIDA?!"

"You know, doing that isn't going to open it…" Morgana sighs. "Still, looks like you've got your own reasons."

With another frustrated groan, Sakamoto-kun turns back to Morgana and Kurusu-kun, sighing before calming down a bit. "Hey Morgana, do you know where those voices are coming from by any chance?"

"…You want me to take you to them?" The humanoid cat quickly guesses what the blond is thinking. He gives it a moment, thinking in silence before glancing towards Kurusu-kun. "Well… I guess I can take you to them. Though only if this guy comes along with us. The more manpower, the better chances we have of getting in and out safely."

"Sure, let's go." Kurusu-kun didn't even hesitate to answer, which surprised the both of them.

"…Then it's settled." Morgana smirks.

"R-Really?" Sakamoto-kun looks at his classmate with astounded eyes, before softening his expression with a cheeky smile. "…Thanks, man."

"Alright, let's do this then!" Morgana grins, stretching his arms. "Follow me, you two!"

Zooming over towards the left side of the castle entrance, Morgana gestured for the duo to follow him towards what appeared to be a ventilation shaft of some sorts. Drawing further away from us, it was difficult to hear what exactly they were saying next, but judging from the context from the conversations up until this point, it looks like the three of them were going to depart to where the cognitive versions of the Volleyball Team members were. The anthropomorphic cat was the first to enter, jumping on top of a nearby barrel before fitting himself inside. Shortly thereafter, Kurusu-kun and Sakamoto-kun ventured inside after him. It had appeared that the former had an easier time doing so compared to the blond boy. Perhaps this too was due to this world. Tartarus and the Dark Hour increased one's physical attributes somewhat, but also strained on their stamina, much like the Midnight Channel.

However, I was a bit impressed that they weren't going through the front entrance. It was also as if they were trying to act as thieves or burglars. However, with that in mind, we decided to wait until they were a bit further ahead. After counting to around half a minute after hearing a door open and close, I gestured for everyone to follow my lead towards the same shaft opening.

"Alright, I'm getting the feeling that this ain't the Shadow nest that we were lookin' for." Labrys looks around with an unsure look. "Don't you guys think so?"

"That's a good assumption, but let's not sell this place out just yet." Ken-kun replies. "That Morgana character seems to be a little odd…he seemed to know an awful lot about this place. He might know other things if he's the one calling Kurusu-kun a rookie."

Koromaru barks in agreement, earning a nod from myself as well.

"Then we have a unanimous decision. We'll use this time to investigate this location, but we'll also be keeping a low profile in order to spy on Kurusu-kun's group. Who knows, they may lead us to the actual Shadow nest in the near future."

With our actions detailed out, we turned towards the ventilation shaft, each of us taking a turn entering the small space. Koromaru was the first, leaping in with grace to scout ahead. I was the last to enter, keeping an eye on our blind spot until I grabbed the metal entrance. Swiftly drifting out of it, we had appeared to have entered a small library or relaxation area. A few bookcases here and there, some large tables and chairs were present as well. Though this area seemed to be safe, I could only suspect that Shadows and other entities lurked further inside

Upon exiting the room, we made a right, turning away from the small corridor until we entered into the main entrance, which appeared to be the central hallway. A stereotypical long red carpet was robed all the way down from the majestic looking staircase until the exit. Everything appeared to be normal, at least for a cognitive version of a grand castle, but a shuddering image of a certain Volleyball Team coach made some of us nearly vomit in disgust.

"You have _got _to be kidding me… Can… Can I just tear it down, please?! Aigis-san, please grant me permission, since you are the lowest serial!" Ken-kun averts his gazes from the horrifying painting located in the middle of the room, hanging off from the central walls.

It was an extravagantly painted portrait of Kamoshida-sensei, gallantly flexing while posing with a background bouquet of flowers. A glamorous shine was shown emitting from the crown atop his head, but it couldn't hide the disturbing grin and lecherous expression he had. That, and the fact that his entire upper body was buck naked, change for a skimpy red and white cloak hanging around his shoulders. I could only imagine the lack of garments he also didn't have for his lower regions…

As we walked through the main room, as we tried to figure out where Kurusu-kun's group went forth, every so often, the interiors of the castle reverted back to the school. I could recognize parts of the school's second floor hallway, billboards and club advertisements included. It was then that we decided to go through the other end of the hall.

The reason why? We heard a bunch of screaming, which was primarily the reason why the former group was probably here in the first place. Kurusu-kun and Sakamoto-kun most likely had a misunderstanding of the concept of cognition, but given that the identities of the students here were probably relatively similar to that of the ones in the real world, the duo could most likely use their faces to identify which students specifically were being harassed, male and female respectively. So far, the only screams that have echoing through the halls were male voices, so most likely the ones that were adjourned to extreme physical abuse were them.

* * *

**…**

Eventually, we tailed the trio until they reached the deep underground areas of the castle. Prisons cells were present everywhere as a flowing stream of water seperated off the pathways in half. Hiding amongst the small bits of barrels and other rotting objects near the damp areas, we witnessed the first battles between Kurusu-kun's group and the Shadows lurking within this area. Though what we weren't expecting were…

"To gain an advantage in battle, it's recommended that you sneak from behind and tear their masks off." Morgana explains as his group hid behind some cover. "It'll disorient the Shadows as the ruler's control over them wavers for a moment."

Nodding, Kurusu-kun grins as he snuck up behind a Shadow. Compared to the likes of the Shadows we had faced off before, these ones didn't exhibit any traits relating to their respective Arcana. There were no numeral masks to distinguish them, and they all took on the form of dark metal knights with masks.

To my complete shock, when Kurusu-kun latched onto the back of one of said Shadows, as it struggled to get him off, he placed a hand on its mask, grunting as he ruthlessly tore it off in one fell swoop. While it wasn't blood that splattered out, as he leaped off from the Shadow's back and landed back with Sakamoto-kun and Morgana, the Shadow began to twitch and spaz out of control, eventually drooping down and deforming into a pool of black and red mass.

"What the hell—"

Before Ken-kun could finish retorting, all of our eyes widened as two figures wisped out of the mass of darkness, congregating into two very familiar forms. One was a small fairy wearing a blue jumpsuit whilst fluttering with two pairs of wings. The other was a small being with a jack-o'-lantern for a head holding out a small lantern with a tiny flame. However, the two of them appeared to had a dark aura surrounding their bodies, the clear evidence of such an influence being the pulsing red and black energy converging up from their lower bodies.

"…Pixie and Pyro Jack?" I utter, recalling the two familiar Personas. "Wait, a minute, what's going—"

**"I'll bash you up, hee-ho!" **The Pyro Jack calls out as it flies towards Kurusu-kun, whacking him with its lantern. Luckily, the transformed teen was able to block the attack with a knife from which he took out from underneath his coat.

"Careful!" Morgana warns, dashing forth. He quickly swishes his cutlass into his paws and smacks the Pyro Jack away from his partner, causing it to fly back until it regrouped with the Pixie. "Rookie, wait up!"

With a grunt, Kurusu-kun runs forth as he ignores Morgana's words, leaping into the air before attempting to slash at the duo.

"Wait, watch out!" Sakamoto-kun cries out.

Before the former could connect his attack, the Pixie, whilst frowning for a moment for her comrade, snarled as she began to cast a Zio spell. Right before Kurusu-kun's knife reached the Pyro Jack, his eyes widened as a small bolt of lightning zapped him midair. He yelled out for a moment before landing down on the floor, growling at the Pixie before backing up.

"Watch their movements. All of the Shadows have the ability to use close range attacks, but there are some that can use long range ones, including elemental variants." Morgana scolds. "Here, I'll heal your wounds."

With the flashing of his eyes, blue flames began to surge around Morgana's figure as a large humanoid figure appeared behind him within a pillar of light. "Come, **Zorro**!"

Blasting back the Pixie and Pyro Jack with a burst of wind, Morgana's Persona emerged to reveal a muscular man wearing a mask. Wielding a rapier and a large belt with a fanciful "Z", it twirled his weapon before casting a Dia spell on Kurusu-kun, healing him of the damage done by the Pixie's Zio.

"Zorro, the masked gentleman of Los Angeles—An outlaw that defended commoners from nobility during the era of Californian Mexican rule." Ken-kun recalled. "…I wonder what kind of Persona Kurusu-kun has."

Looking back towards said teenager, after groaning from his recovery, he and Morgana nodded at each other as he grasped his mask, flames surging off from his figure as his own Persona began to surface. A haughty tone of laughter was heard as the winged figure that Labrys and I saw before was summoned, its face glowing ominously as it tipped its hat.

"Ravage them, **Arsène**!" Kurusu-kun yells. "Eiha!"

"Show them your might, Zorro!" Morgana followed through. "Garu!"

By his command, Arsène began to pile together a mass of dark energy in his hands as Zorro's rapier began to amass a swirl of wind. Together, they then unleashed their spells, consuming the two enemies within masses of black and green, causing them to disappear within hazy shadows as their screams were heard.

With the two enemies gone, both Sakamoto-kun and Kurusu-kun gave off a sigh of relief as Zorro and Arsène vanished away. Morgana shakes his head out of relief, turning to the duo.

"You've still got to practice a little, rookie." He says, scolding Kurusu-kun for his actions. "And you can't get cocky with the chances that arise in front of you."

"Yeah… I might have gotten a bit too enthusiastic." The black-haired boy admits, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

"Well, as long as you get it. You'll get better with experience." The cat-being smiles. "Now come on, let's get going."

"Man, this is all too whack…" Sakamoto-kun manages to blurt out one last retort before the three began to travel deeper into the castle's dungeon.

Leaving them to their travels, after waiting for a little while longer, we finally were able to emerge out from our hiding spot, with Koromaru whining a little from how close we were to the water. Well, witnessing this battle granted with a whole new plethora of knowledge.

"Well, let's go over what we know now…" Labrys tilts her head.

Ken-kun nods. "Starting off, apparently, Shadows don't take on the forms of those we saw within the likes of Tartarus or the Midnight Channel. They're instead based on the Personas that we all used to know, and they all have their own respective Arcana."

"Pyro Jack belongs to the Magician, and Pixie is…the Lovers, right?" Labrys turns to me in confirmation.

I nod in return. "And they seem to even be acting like the way I used to know them as. I would say that the influence of the castle's ruler has them under control as those forms from earlier. Morgana-san mentioned a small thing about relinquishing control over them by tearing off those masks on the Shadows."

"So, in those knight forms, they're completely under Kamoshida's control, but if you tear off the mask, you can confront the true entities within while they're confused and exposed." Ken-kun summarizes. "Now then… What about their Personas?"

"Ah yes…" I then start to recall. "Zorro and Arsène, were they?"

"The rival to Sherlock Holmes, Arsène Lupin." Labrys says with an amused smile. "And the gentleman outlaw, Zorro!"

"Zorro seems to specialize in Garu and healing spells, while Arsène has talents in Curse spells, though they seem to be more damage-based rather than being one-shot elimination techniques like Cerberus'." I say, petting Koromaru's head as he barks in response to his Persona's name.

After waiting for a few more minutes, we began to move on, following the trail that the trio took. Crossing by a dampened dirt path and even crossing a bridge, along the way after approaching a large holding cell, as we looked around, the presences of all three of their group seemed to had vanished from my sensors. There were only a few rooms and other entrances, but there shouldn't have been any way for Kurusu-kun's group to had gone up that much ahead of our own…

"This is strange… Where did they go?" I wonder.

"Think about that later, Aigis-san." Ken-kun quickly retorts however as he points out towards the end of the long hall of cells. Koromaru begins to growl as well as we all take a look down the pathway. "Incoming!"

**"Intruders! Get them!" **A Shadow suddenly yells out, appearing with another half-a-dozen knights.

"Aw crud…" Labrys curses. "Well, prepare for battle!"

Taking out our weapons, the groups of knights began to splurge down into piles of black and red, reforming themselves into familiar Persona forms. Two of them were transformed into Pixies, while one had morphed into a creature resembling a demonic unicorn with two horns. The rest of them however had formed into the shapes of metal knights on horses, all of them wielding golden yellow trident-like spears.

**"Thieves! Take them to Lord Kamoshida!" **One of the horsemen, or rather, one of the Beriths, ordered as he and his fellow Shadows began to charge at us.

The unicorn-like Shadow growled loudly as he charged forth, attempting to ram me down with its two horned head. Standing my ground however, I stuck my hands out, grasping said horns before they could reach me and stopping its momentum in no time. Surprisingly so, this Shadow didn't seem to possess that much power; was it perhaps related to the standing of the Kamoshida's control? Thinking of Tartarus, the lower leveled floors of the tower often contained weaker Shadows compared to the higher floors, so perhaps this was similar in that regard?

Whilst in my thoughts, Labrys propelled herself with her jet-axe, slamming the brunt of her weapon into my enemy's side. It was launched out towards one of the prison cells, whimpering as the metal gate shook eerily from its body smashing into it.

One of the Beriths growled, glancing at one of the Pixies to order to tend to its wounds. While the small fairy began to fly over, Ken-kun quickly dashed forth, slamming the bottom of his spear into its face and knocking it aside.

"Sorry, but I'm not going to let you do that." He says as he begins to take out his Evoker. "Now then… Come, **Kala-Nemi**!"

Aiming the barrel of the model pistol to his cranium, his eyes flashed a glowing blue coloration as he pulled the trigger; the sound of glass shattering as a pillar of blue light formed behind his person. Within moments, a large, red entity was summoned forth. It had a humanoid body, but between its two arms, two swirling masses with orange glowing marks were seen contained with cylindrite-shaped openings.

And following up, Koromaru yipped loudly as he zipped forth towards the other Pixie, slashing it with the knife in his mouth. It quickly fell down, screaming in agony as the albino shiba inu began to howl. His Evoker glowed, summoning forth a pillar of light that materialized a black three-headed hound resembling a Doberman. This was Koromaru's Persona, **Cerberus**.

"Koromaru!" Ken-kun yells.

To his response, both of their Personas began to invoke a spell, Kala-Nemi with a Hamaon, and Cerberus with a Mudoon. Engulfing the Pixies within flares of light and darkness, a bright flash gleamed through the echoes of the hallway as they both were eliminated.

Turning my attention back to Labrys as the light faded, she turned her attention towards the Beriths. All three of them flinched as she charged forth, swinging her doubled-bladed axe in a wide arc. They barely managed to escape the lethal attack, their horses skidding away before charging forth towards my sister.

"Sister!" She calls out. I responded accordingly, leaping to her side.

Nodding at each other, my vision went blue as we each began to activate our built-in Evokers, showering pillars of lights as our Personas were summoned. "Let us proceed."

Charging towards the Beriths, the light from our summoning died off, revealing our Persona. My own Persona, **Pallas Athena**, charged forth to slam her shield against the spears of my enemies, leaving them at a standstill as Labrys' own Persona began to make her move. Her other-self, **Ariadne**, a pale white and blue humanoid Persona, twirled a glowing red yarn around its person before conforming it into the shape of a bull.

"Blastoff, Ariadne!" She commanded, gesturing her Persona to launch her attack. **"Beast Weaver!"**

Knowing that the attack was coming, I quickly called back Athena into myself, jumping out of the way a moment later. Watching the Beriths whelp in horror, the manifested bull plowed through them like putty, exterminating them all into shadows.

With the battle nearly over, all of our Personas vanished as we turned our attention back towards the last injured enemy. Gathering around, we all pointed our weapons in its direction, causing it to gasp as it looked up.

**"H-Huh?! H-Hey, come on now!" **It cried out. **"Do you intruders really think you'll get out of this scot free?"**

"It can talk?" Labrys frowned.

"Of course." I answer. "Shadows are manifestations of humanity's feelings. Of course they can have emotions and forms. That's the basis behind Personas as well."

Turning back to the creature, I begin to speak. "Where is the king of the castle?"

**"Pfft… At the top of the castle, duh." **It rolled its eyes. **"Come on, there's no chance you'll be able to get to him though."**

"Do you really think so?" Ken-kun says otherwise, pointing his spear right beside its neck. It gasped in fear, prompting me to glance in its direction.

"We're not here to invade." I explain. "We more or less came here to explore."

**"…What, like tourists?" **The four-legged being frowned. **"You really think Lord Kamoshida would accept a reason like that?"**

"Well, I mean… We didn't exactly come here of our own free will…" Labrys retorts, earning a scoff from our enemy. "B-But hey, you guys were the ones who attacked us at first!"

**"Only because you thieves were intruding into Lord Kamoshida's territory!" **The unicorn-like entity barks back. **"Bah… Come on, kill me or something already, would ya?"**

"How about this then?" I suddenly intervene, causing everyone to look in my direction. "If you can tell us where we can find a map, or where the prisoners are, we'll let you go. After all, living is the best experience one can have in kind of place, isn't it?"

**"…"**

**"I… Suppose." **The entity answered with a reluctant tone of agreement. **"F-Fine then, I'll tell you. There's a map located in the deeper parts of the first floor… And the prisoners are kept down in the dungeons just beyond here."**

Ken-kun and the rest of the team were a bit surprised that I was trying to negotiate with the enemy, but were kind enough to let me do my thing. I'm a bit surprised at how calm downed it was; I suppose engaging in a conversation made it relax a bit. Giving it a small smile, I helped it off from the floor, nodding in thanks.

"Thank you." I say, which caused it to stagger back a bit.

**"E-Er… Whatever. Anyhow, I'm going now!" **It then growled, galloping away until it vanished away into thin air.

As we sensed its disappearance completely going away, it was then that my vision flashed a tinge of blue. Suddenly, a row of cards appeared before me in my mind, shifting a couple of places before floating in place. Ah… So, Shuffle Time is back? Smirking inwardly, I selected the tarot card right in the middle, causing it to flash to the image of the Hermit Arcana tarot—an old hermit holding up a lantern. As it flipped itself, the image of the same unicorn-like entity was shown, revealing itself to me as a new Persona was placed inside the sea of my soul.

_'…I am thou, thou art I. From the sea of thy soul I cometh. I am Bicorn, harbinger of sinful comings.'_ Bicorn appeared by side in ethereal form, nodding in my direction before vanishing into me.

Smiling, I turn to glance back at everyone else. With everyone all accounted for, I pointed down forth towards the dungeon.

"Shall we continue?"

* * *

**This should be a good point to end this chapter. I don't want every individual part to be super long.**

**Regarding chapter sizes and canon… Should I involve any relationships for Akira? It wouldn't have much of an impact on the story itself, but it may prove to be quite the catalyst for otherwise humorous dialogue, such as in Persona 4 Golden when you interact with characters who aren't in your party mid-dungeon while dating several girls.**

**Also, regarding Aigis and her usage of the Wild Card. Like Persona 3, her methods of gaining Personas won't be like Akira's/Persona 5's, as in talking with a Persona and freeing it from a Palace Ruler's control. Shuffle Time will be her main method of Persona gaining, but the kinds of Personas gained will be dependent on things such as battle or the likes.**

**That should be it for the time being. Leave a review or a PM if you guys want, and I'll see you all in the next chapter.**


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